“I can’t wait for you to see it!” she exclaimed. Anxious devotees have been patiently awaiting the opening of Le Petite Theatre and Dickie Brennan’s Tableau, but perhaps none so more than interior designer Jennifer Kelly, who has been creating (and recreating) the space for the new restaurant over the past two years.

Born in Destin, Florida, Kelly always dreamed of renovating her childhood home, a rambling Tudor she shared with five siblings. Pursuing this dream, she attended Louisiana State University and earned her bachelor’s degree in interior design. Fresh out of college, she found herself working for Wolfgang Puck with design firm Cooper Carry in Atlanta. Although Kelly’s work has taken her all over the country, from Los Angeles, California to Miramar, Florida, she always found herself drawn back to the city of New Orleans and claims that now “I’m here to stay.”

Both locals and tourists in New Orleans should be familiar with some of Kelly’s past designs in the city, spaces like the Crescent City Brewhouse on Decatur Street; Atchafalaya Restaurant on Louisiana Avenue; Marcel Wisznia’s recent renovation, The Maritime; the Rice Mill Lofts and most recently, Cafe Soule on St. Louis Street. Though Kelly’s focus has been on restaurants, she has worked on private residences as well, including the major renovation of a 5,000-square foot Creole townhouse on Esplanade Avenue.

It is precisely her respect for culture and classic architecture that landed her the job of creating the look and feel of Tableau at the Le Petite Theatre. “I’m very eclectic, but I also appreciate and respect tradition,” she explained. Though while designing the interior of Tableau, she did include modern fixtures like lighting from Bevolo, she also added other lamps acquired after scouring antique shops all over the city. Kelly employed influences from Spanish Colonial architecture, like details from the Presbytère, located just steps away, and went all the way overseas to find the perfect tile from an old Spanish monastery.

To learn more about Jennifer Kelly or to contact her, visit www.designlabnola.com or email her at geauxjenny@designlabnola.com.

Stuck inside the Hammond store due to Mardi Gras, Scott and Cat discovered something between them that harmonized. “We talked all night long and we haven’t stopped talking since.” Fast forward more than six years to see the happy couple with three children (Ronan, Addington and Eva) in tow and two additional locations of Discoveries Furniture & Finds, the third one opening this month at 2850 Magazine Street.

Scott McKearn was born into the business with his father and brother both importing furniture from Indonesia and selling it in Louisiana. Although he grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, McKearn moved to New Orleans to work with his father and eventually attend LSU. Since he has founded the Dauphine Mirror Co., Flambeaux Lighting and Habitat Imports in Baton Rouge. “I can honestly look back and say I’ve been in the furniture retail business for 20 years” laughs McKearn.

Cat (formally Catherine) is a native to Louisiana who grew up in Baton Rouge and graduated with a degree in philosophy from Tulane University. Even before they were married, Cat has been an invaluable business partner who brainstorms ideas and frequently accompanies Scott on buying trips. Visiting villages and cities in India, Indonesia, China and Morocco, the McKearns buy directly from the artisans and sell directly to the consumer at wholesale price.

Just before the recent birth of their youngest child Eva, Scott and Cat McKearn moved into a beautiful house mere blocks from their newest Discoveries location. “It’s great, I can walk to work!” Scott exclaims. Cat has been staying home, taking care of her newborn, but is anxious to get back to work at the Hammond location which manages all the inventory coming in from overseas. Scott was also “jazzed” to announce work on a new, e commerce website for Discoveries Furniture & Finds which will enable shoppers to buy their merchandise online.

For more information, visit www.discoveriewholesalewarehouse.com or visit their latest store at 2850 Magazine Street.

Like attorneys, insurance agents and dentists, Reid Stone believes that advertisers have been among the most hated of professionals. After all, who wants the “Mad Men,” slick, holier-than-thou attitude in a three-piece suit telling you how to represent your company to the public and all for a hefty price tag? When Stone created HERO|Farm back in 2009, he set out to change that stereotype for the better.

Born and raised on the Gulf Coast, Stone is an only child who didn’t fall far from the tree with a mother in public relations and a father in marketing. After graduating Mississippi State University with degrees in International Business and Spanish, Stone came to New Orleans after the levee failures in 2005 to help revitalize the economy. At first, Stone worked in a large, local firm for a few years driving the marketing strategies for clients like the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Louisiana Superdome. This is also where he met HERO|Farm’s co-founder Shaun Walker.

In 2008, Stone and Walker were two of many people who fell victim to the massive layoffs taking place all over the country, but they turned this sour note into their advantage. Gathering his fellow co-workers who now found themselves jobless, Stone formed HERO|Farm – “an idea cultivation marketing and advertising agency” whose sole purpose is to “do great work for good people,” specializing in helping entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized businesses build their brand through social media and non-traditional advertising. “A lot of small businesses believe they can’t afford a marketing agency, but our services can be quite inexpensive.” emphasizes Stone.

Along with regular clients like myPhoneMD and the International High School of New Orleans, HERO|Farm makes a point to take on one (but often more than one) pro-bono client per year. Green Light New Orleans, WRBH – Reading Radio for the Blind and Project 30/90 are only a few of the many non-profit organizations that have benefited from the creative, innovative talent found at HERO|Farm. Stone takes pride in the company’s philanthropic endeavors and admits that “aiding the community helps keep us grounded and reminds us why we’re here.”

For more information, please visit them online at www.hero-farm.com.

YLC Wednesday at the Square is a free, 12-week concert series with food and drink for sale to benefit the Young Leadership Council. Local artisans also sell their work in the Artist Village near the Camp Street entrance. In may, Lafayette Square will play host to musicians like The Meters, Ivan Deville’s Dumpstaphunk, Billy Iuso & the Restless Natives and Irvin Mayfield every Wednesday! For more information, please visit www.wednesdaysatthesquare.com.

May 1st – Chazfest

As more local talent was left out of the Jazz Fest lineup, a group of 9th Ward musicians, including Alex McMurray, decided to hold their own local festival to honor and appreciate the incredible talent right in their own backyard. Come be a part of the best local music festival in the heart of New Orleans with ten hours of nonstop music, culture, food and good times on two stages! This year, the festival features great local acts like The Geraniums, The Stacks, Truth Universal, Los Poboycitos and more. For more information and tickets, visit www.chazfestival.com.

May 2^nd to May 5^th – 2^nd Weekend of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell

With twelve stages of virtually every style of roots music, Jazz Fest presents one of the entertainment world’s most diverse music lineups, including its unparalleled showcase of Louisiana’s unique culture. The second weekend this year features a ton of fabulous musicians including Widespread Panic, Willie Nelson, Fleetwood Mac, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Darryl Hall & John Oates, Irma Thomas and Aaron Neville. For more information, please visit www.nojazzfest.com.

May 22^nd to May 25^th – New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

A group of local wine and food experts and enthusiasts got together in 1991 to hold a series of events intended to not only educate, but to give back to their own beloved community. That effort has grown today into the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, what is known nationally (if not internationally) as the most prestigious, the most celebrated festivals of it’s kind. For five glorious days, the hosts take us on an educational, bacchanalian journey through the glories of wine and food through seminars, tastings and wine dinners presented by the finest restaurants New Orleans has to offer. You’ll want to reserve seats for an experience your palate won’t soon forget at restaurants like Domenica, Commander’s Palace, Borgne, Galatoire’s, ROOT, The Irish House, Palace Cafe and more!

May 23^rd to May 26^th – Saints & Sinners GLBT Literary Festival

Founded in 2001, The Saints & Sinners Literary festival was begun as an original, creative approach to educate and inform the community about HIV and AIDS with messages of prevention coming from the local writers and spokespeople of the GLBT community. It was also a way to unite the GLBT community in celebration of the literary arts. Join in the annual Saints & Sinners Festival that has grown into an internationally-recognized event that hosts panel discussions and master classes by a veritable who’s who of GLBT writers and publishers from all over the country. For more information, please visit www.sasfest.org.

May 24th, 25th & 26th – Greek Festival

Opa! Mark your calendars now for the 40th anniversary of Greek Festival New Orleans, an amazing showcase of Greek food, music, and fun! Held annually at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Greek Festival is a fun, cultural, family experience you won’t want to miss. Indulge in authentice Greek cuisine like souvlaki, gyros and baklava while floating on the calm waters of the Bayou St. John. For more information, please visit www.greekfestnola.com.

I recommend the signature facial with Jessica Klein, who has worked at H2O since 1997. It was the ultimate in skin care and relaxation; I fell asleep and my skin glowed for days after. Definitely a treat.

H2O Salon and Spa
441 Metairie Road
(504) 835-4377

Services offered: All hair, including extensions and Keratin treatments, make up, nail, body, facial and bridal. H2O uses and sells Paul Mitchell and the highly regarded Kerastase.

Did You Know? Every Monday is “Men’s Monday Madness,” where men get a cut and style for $25.

Beauty Fact
Five hundred milligrams of Vitamin C twice daily will help promote collagen in the body, in addition to repairing cell damage and strengthening the moisture barrier. So do as your mother always told you, and take your vitamins!

Product Fact
Don’t throw away those thin plastic covers that come under the lids of some creams. They protect the active ingredients and help make them more effective.

Product Spotlight   
Naked Skin Beauty Balm from Urban Decay. $34. Sephora, Lakeside Mall. (504) 830-4567. 

This is the mother of all BB creams on the market. It’s packed with outstanding anti-aging benefits that deliver spectacular results. Light-diffusing pigments give skin a natural, “naked” look that gets better with each use. Treats, primes, hydrates and protects with SPF 20.

Celebrity Quote:      “I sincerely believe that beauty largely comes from within.”
~Christy Turlington~

Professional Services
In need of a quickie? Look no further than blo Blow Dry Bar on Magazine Street. I must say, I am obsessed! Specializing exclusively in wash and style, this is the perfect stop before a big night out or an important interview.

Totally modern in decor and approach, the team at blo are quick, professional and to the point. Bring a photo or look through their hair ”menu” to find your perfect style. The best part? Because blo is a Blow Dry Bar, technically you are not cheating on your hairdresser.
blo Blow Dry Bar
5530 Magazine Street
(504) 570-6101
blomedry.com

Lunch at – Tucked away on Exchange Place in the historic French Quarter, Green Goddess is a restaurant to rave about. Chef Paul Artigues, who took over the restaurant when Chef Chris DeBarr left last year to open Serendipity in Mid-City, will set your taste buds a-flutter with dishes like a Cuban Luau Sandwich with artisanal salami and pulled pork or Pork Belly & Red Eye Gravy served with adobo collard greens and truffle grits.

Sip at – You’ll discover the roughly elegant Bar Tonique on Rampart Street in the French Quarter, directly across from Armstrong Park. A large square bar serving extremely well-made, hand-crafted cocktails dominates the space, which features exposed brick walls and comfy corner couches. Enjoy sips from an extensive menu like a “Vesper” with Martin Miller’s West Coast Strength Gin and Sobieski Vodka or a “Blood & Sand,” made with Dewar’s 12-year-old blended malt scotch and Cinzano Italian Vermouth.

Delight in – There’s nothing like a show at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, and this month the main event is “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz,” presented by Broadway in New Orleans. The show is directed by Joe Mantello and boasts a lilting score from Stephen Schwartz as well as choreography by Wayne Cilento. See how two girls from Oz grew to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good long before Dorothy and Toto arrived on the scene.

Saturday

Brunch at – Amidst the mansions of the gorgeous Garden District lies Commander’s Palace, one of the “grand dame” restaurants of New Orleans. Located on Washington Avenue, across the street from Lafayette Cemetery #1, the fantastical Victorian with blue-and-white striped awnings has been a historic fixture in this neighborhood since 1880. With Chef Tory McPhail at the helm, a luxurious Jazz Brunch at Commander’s features not only excellent service and great music, but a splendid menu with dishes like the famous Turtle Soup, Bananas Foster Pancakes, Eggs Cochon de Lait and Candy Apple Lacquered Quail.

Revive at – Get a rich taste of La Divina Gelateria’s divine espresso, blended especially for the cafe by the Coffee Roasters of New Orleans with plenty of input from owner Carmelo Turillo. Located on Magazine Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, La Divina Gelateria also serves panini, salads and gelato created by Chef Mia Calamia. You may not be able to resist a scoop of Chocolate Azteca gelato to accompany your espresso.

Sip at – Among the majestic mansions that line St. Charles Avenue is the beautiful Columns Hotel. Relax at a table on the wide porch and watch the Streetcar rumble by as you enjoy a drink from The Victorian Lounge Bar. Step back into the past and sip on classic, well-made cocktails like a Sazerac, Pimm’s Cup or the ubiquitously Southern Mint Julep.

Sunday

Brunch at – Marvel at the decor inside the two-story restaurant that once housed the historic Werlein’s music building or sit at a sidewalk table and watch the world pass by … neither should be missed at Palace Cafe. Located on Canal Street near the corner of Chartres on the edge of the French Quarter, Dickie Brennan’s contemporary Creole eatery has been pleasing palates since 1991. Executive Chef Darin Nesbit offers a delicious Sunday Jazz Brunch with dishes like Duck & Roasted Garlic Gumbo, Catfish Pecan Meunière and New Orleans Pain Perdu.

Shop at – Any woman would love to spend her Sunday afternoon shopping, and your mom is no exception! Take her to The Shops at Canal Place and peruse the wares of the finest and most contemporary retail merchants in the country. Browse the unique clothing at Anthropologie, pick up her favorite purse at Coach, try on locally jewelry designed at Mignon Faget or splurge on a new outfit for mom at Sak’s Fifth Avenue. You could even catch a movie at The Theatres at Canal Place and nibble on some gourmet snacks like Smoked Salmon or Roman Artichokes from Chef Adolfo Garcia‘s Gusto while you watch the show.

Relax at – Although it might sound cliché, it doesn’t hurt to wind down your day with Café au Lait and Beignets at the famous Café Du Monde. Despite the hordes of tourists, Café Du Monde has an unmistakable sense of history that is readily felt at the 150-year-old cafe while sipping on a frothy cup of rich chicory coffee mixed with steamed milk and a plate of hot, freshly made beignets topped with heaps of powdered sugar.

Rio Mar, the ever-popular Spanish and Latin American seafood and tapas restaurant in the Warehouse District, has announced that owner Nick Bazan will share ownership with Miles Prescott, who also happens to be the executive chef. Prescott is a seasoned chef who studied at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and has since derived skills from years of experience in the kitchens of greats, as well as immersion in many of the world’s classic cuisines. Bazan is excited about the new partnership, and said that Prescott “has tremendous restaurant experience, in and out of the kitchen, and this is a great opportunity for him to move forward in his culinary career. He is extremely passionate about his work and I am constantly impressed by his innovation and flair for culinary artistry.”

The French Quarter gourmet ice pop shop, Meltdown, will open a second location in the Bywater. Owner Michelle Weaver revealed via Facebook that she has found the perfect spot at 4011 St. Claude Avenue, between Bartholomew and Mazant Streets, and hopes to open sometime this month. The Bywater keeps improving its food options and it will just get better with the addition of gourmet ice pops made from all natural and mostly local ingredients.

Tivoli & Lee, a brand new “modern Southern bistro” headed by Chef Mike Nirenberg, has replaced Dominique Macquet’s Tamarind in the Hotel Modern on Lee Circle. Nirenberg will apply the experience he has garnered from working in the kitchens of Patois and The Delachaise to create a fresh farm-to-table menu featuring dishes like Chappapeela Farms Duck Confit with braised greens, andouille tots and pomegranate glaze or a Poached Gulf Shrimp Salad with pickled vegetables and a chili-shallot vinaigrette.

The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience and the John Besh Foundation have gathered the nation’s best chefs to celebrate the lifetime achievement of Leah Chase on May 25 at their “Funkin’ It Up” Fundraiser. That same night, the John Besh Foundation will award the John Besh and Bride Mayor Chefs Move! Scholarships for Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts for the International Culinary Center in New York. Some of the best chefs in the country will present at this incredible event including John Besh, Donald Link, John Currence, Aarón Sanchez, Danny Bowien, Michelle Bernstein, David Slater, Jacques Torres and Michael Anthony.

One of the oldest restaurants in the city (if not the country) has recently opened a steakhouse on Bourbon Street. Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak is located in a lavishly restored building right next door to the original 135-year-old Galatoire’s. The steakhouse has a masculine atmosphere and a menu that features USDA Prime cuts of beef and house specialties like shrimp remoulade and steamed lobster meuniere.

Typically, the museum enlists floral designers, garden clubs and interior decorators to create scenes and arrangements with plants and flowers. How we, as stylists and personal shoppers, were selected to partake in the stunning affair is still blurry, but I am very proud of our design and the story we told.

“Steel Magnolias” was the inspiration for each contributor’s design. I had to keep my overactive left brain in check in order to make a literal assessment: what and who is a “Steel Magnolia?” I thought of all the women in our community who embody this dichotomy of strength and beauty. Many women that have beauty, style and maintain successful careers, but I believe that in order to be truly powerful and stunning, a “Steel Magnolia” must also possess inner beauty and grace in all circumstances. As my partner and I labored over our Art in Bloom installation, a theme began to emerge: each woman who fit our definition of a “Steel Magnolia” was also a mother.

Against the Odds
Melissa Fos Daigle is one of the most remarkable young women I have ever met. Unfailingly full of laughs, she is the powerhouse in her family, which includes four-year-old Eliza, two-year-old Libby and her husband Burt. When I asked her what makes her feel beautiful and sexy, she replied, “My husband! He truly appreciates everything I do to keep this household in check. He makes me feel like a pretty person.” Daigle also credits her little ones with making her feel lovely. “I simply put on a dress and make up and they’ll say: ‘Mommy looks pretty.’”

Two years ago, at the age of 32, Daigle was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer that had moved into her bones. She underwent radiation, removal of her ovaries and a lumpectomy. Presently, she receives hormone therapy and screenings every three to six months. When asked what gives her strength, she stated: “If not for my babies, I would still be crying over my situation. I had two little ones who needed me to be a mom. I am a better wife, mother and person because of cancer.” Melissa’s frank and humorous perspective is one we should all aspire to. “Life is too short to obsess. If your child wants to eat gummy bears at 10:00 a.m. and wear a Cinderella costume every day, so be it!”

Balancing Act
Kay Morrison is the Ari Gold (Entourage) of New Orleans; she is 24/7. As CEO and brainchild of her organizational service, The Occasional Wife, she handles the logistics of wedding planning, estate sales and closet and home organization, among many other responsibilities. She founded her company in New Orleans, and currently assists in organizing homes and businesses across the U.S., with offices in New York, Los Angeles and the Gulf Coast.

Morrison is mother to Flynn, 12 and Annabel, 11, and wife of Cam. She brings home the bacon and fries it up, all while wearing a sassy dress and drinking a martini. While she unloaded her enormous pick-up truck with shelving to be installed in a client’s home and simultaneously responded to emails and texts, she told me what makes her feel pretty: “Getting my eyelashes put on!” When I asked her what makes her feel strong, she said: “Oh my, honey. Putting my feet on the floor every morning!” When Morrison finally stops moving at the end of each day, she finds time to snuggle up on the couch with her family to watch movies.

Muscle Momma
Thirty-six-year-old psychiatrist, Lakisha Mamon, requested my assistance two years ago to help her dress her post-pregnancy figure. Dr. Mamon was learning to tackle her newly acquired “assets,” from needing to feed her baby to getting back into professional attire, yet she still wanted to feel like a “hot mom.” I was amazed by her ability to balance her workload, care for her newborn and even manage to squeeze in exercise. “I take CrossFit classes and there is no better feeling than knowing I have completed more reps or lifted heavier weights than the week prior.”

Besides finding time to work up a sweat, a real treat for Mamon is having her makeup done by the artists at The Makeup Lab. “I can have on just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but feel as slinky as Eartha Kitt as Catwoman.” As a busy career woman, sexy wife and wonderful mother, she epitomizes a “Steel Magnolia.”

These women are merely a sample of the astonishing females thriving in our city. A true testament to motherhood and womankind, these sisters, wives, leaders, friends and most importantly, mothers, set the bar so high it would be a small feat to accomplish half of their achievements.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the stylish and graceful women of New Orleans.

An event like the NCAA Women’s Final Four falls in line with the Super Bowls, the BCS, NCAA and conference championships and the bowl games that have come to form the backbone of the city’s sports tourism industry, which is now a major component of the city’s overall tourism industry. This time, fans from the Final Four participants, Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame and California, flooded the city and showed again what a perfect mix major sports, tourism and New Orleans can make. The Women’s Final Four also brought the ESPN coverage team, featuring Kevin Negandhi, Kara Lawson, Carolyn Peck, Dave O’Brien, Holly Rowe and Doris Burke, and the incredible influence their impressions of New Orleans can bring to the nation. Glowing images of the French Quarter and the Garden District interwove with positive comments about the state of the city and the incredible atmosphere surrounding the stadium and game.

The table had been set. This was the city’s third time hosting the national championship. The Connecticut (UConn) Huskies had come in 7-0 all time in national championships, including winning one prior title in New Orleans. The Louisville Cardinals entered as the classic underdog, having earned its way with upset wins against the top two teams in the country: Baylor and Notre Dame. Ultimately, the incredible talent on the floor matched the presentation as UConn showed itself to be one of the greatest teams of all time, accelerating past Louisville early in the first half to close with a 38-15 run, and never allowing them to get close again. Freshman forward Breanna Stewart showed incredible instincts and leadership and had one of those moments in sports where a national audience could see a real star break out for the first time on a big stage. Stewart poured in twenty-three points: three three-point shots, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals in thirty minutes of nearly flawless basketball. With forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and fellow guard Kelly Faris, Stewart led what can only be described as one of the best single-game or championship performances in NCAA basketball history, men’s or women’s, any division.

Perhaps most remarkable in watching this incredible display is the fact that women’s basketball is more relatable to the far majority of those who might be watching. The game, by and large, is played at eye level—not above the rim, which would be more like the great game that Naismith likely envisioned: fluid and heavily based on individual player cleverness and anticipation as opposed to sheer size or height. Hand-eye coordination is at a premium because physical capabilities do not so overshadow the rules and limits of the game as to render them almost meaningless. Skills are key, making the game one of fundamentals, and that was so evident on championship night as the Huskies jumped on every little mistake the Cardinals made while making few, if any, themselves, not just as to turnovers but also ball handling, getting open, shot selection, passing, speed to the basket, and, on defense, almost never leaving opponent shooters open on the other side of the court. Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma had his team as prepared to play as any that a basketball fan could ever hope to see. The Huskies were so good in every phase, so excellent in all fundamentals, playing together in perfect chemistry, that it would not be wrong to say that, in terms of a team playing together as a pure “team,” they may just be the best amateur basketball team in the country, any division, any gender.

The only disappointing part was attendance, which was less than capacity at the Arena. While this may have been the fault of the city, or the NCAA, or perhaps just in the fact that the popularity of the women’s game continues to lag considerably behind the men’s, it should not happen in a city that relies more and more on sports tourism as its economic lifeblood. Regardless, it should serve to remind local fans that if they want to find an affordable, available front-row seat to great sporting moments, they should perhaps look to the next women’s basketball game at UNO, Tulane or LSU.

ABOUT ME

How did you choose your specialty?
I was always interested in surgery, but during my residency in India, I got involved in otolaryngology. I came to appreciate the great potential to make things better for patients. Treating cancer is difficult but also very rewarding; you feel like you are contributing to a social problem.

What is your role at the Head & Neck Center?
I am trained as an otolaryngologist and my sub-specialty is head and neck oncology and surgery. I have a particular interest in minimally invasive surgery for the salivary glands, also known as sialendoscopy. Whereas giant stones have traditionally required complete removal of the salivary gland, we can now use small endoscopes to enter the ducts of the salivary glands and this allows us to keep the glands intact.

In 2010, I took this a step further, and was the first surgeon to successfully combine salivary endoscopic guidance with robotics. In this case, the robot was guided by a small salivary endoscope to remove a 20mm salivary stone and repair the salivary duct.

These minimally invasive techniques not only save the salivary gland, but also reduce blood loss, scarring and hospital stay.

What is your philosophy regarding patient care?
I like to take care of patients like they are my family. It’s important to be objective, offer advice and then give them the time to make informed decisions for themselves. Care should be patient-centric and individualized to each patient’s needs.

Do you have other roles outside of your ENT practice?
I also teach residents and medical students and I have participated in quite a bit of medical research. It is a way of auditing what we’re doing and it helps us better understand what is happening to our patients and how they are responding to certain treatments.

I work with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance to coordinate free oral cancer screenings for the community several times a year. Michael Douglas’ experience with oral cancer brought attention to the disease and now we get a lot of people coming in who want to be screened for it. Oral cancers can be especially disruptive as they affect day-to-day functions like swallowing and speech.

I also try to make things better in my field through medical device innovation. I invented a salivary duct stent that can be used to hold open the salivary duct after salivary gland surgery.

ABOUT MY PRACTICE

What is your average day—if you have one?
I wake up early, around 5:00 a.m., to try to catch up on whatever I have pending. Then I spend the rest of the day in clinic or in surgery. I try to stay focused so that I can come home at a reasonable hour to spend time with my family. It’s important to me that I have a balanced life and take care of myself. If I’m content with my life and with what I’m doing, then I can provide the best care for my patients.

What are your most challenging surgical cases?
Every surgery is a challenge. Every single case is different in terms of the patient’s expectations, tumor and anatomy, among other things. This is why I feel it’s crucial to individualize treatment for every patient. What do they expect from surgery? Do they understand what is involved and what structures will be affected? Do they know how soon they will return to “normal,” or if they ever will? If a patient doesn’t understand these things, he or she will not be satisfied after surgery.

Whenever possible, I have patients talk to other patients so they get an idea of what will happen. Especially when I have a patient who is anxious about surgery, I’ll try to arrange a telephone interview with another patient who has been through the process.

What do you like most about your job?
I like having the privilege of taking care of people and making a significant impact in their lives, which I have the unique opportunity to do so on a day-to-day basis. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing patients several years after surgery and knowing that I helped them through a very difficult time in their lives.

ADDRESS:
3700 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA, 70115

PHONE:
(504) 412-1122

RESIDENCY:
T.N. Medical College, Mumbai, India

FELLOWSHIPS:
Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology, 2003-2005

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, PA, Advanced & Head Neck Surgery, 2006-2008

Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, Skull Base Fellowship, 2008-2009

SPECIALTIES:
Head & Neck Oncology
Endoscopic Thyroid Surgery
Robotic Surgery
Sialendoscopy

What do you love about oncology?
As an oncologist, I become very close with my patients because I see them monthly or even weekly. I get to be my patients’ cheerleader and it feels so good to help them.

Please describe a patient’s first visit.
I typically manage to see patients within 24 hours of their initial phone call. My patients are scared, and rightfully so; they’ve just received devastating news. I take the time to educate them and their family members. I relay the reality of the situation, which is often not as grave as patients think, so that I can ease their fears. The fact is that the majority of cancer patients do not die, nor do they have a recurrence.

I encourage my patients to bring their family members with them to the appointment—the more ears in the room, the better. I love when patients come in with a pen and notebook because for me, the best feeling is knowing their every question was answered.

What happens when a patient is not healthy enough for treatment?
All patients, regardless of their stage of cancer or whether they qualify for treatment, should be treated with the utmost care and compassion. We practice the philosophy of “Do No Harm;” if we cannot offer patients safe chemotherapy, we will not put them through it. We take pride in getting these patients out of pain and helping in every way possible with the dying process.

As someone who has done a considerable amount of cancer research, what can you tell us about genetic testing and screening programs?
Genetic testing allows us to analyze genes, chromosomes and proteins in order to predict the risk of certain types of cancers. We can now identify individuals who do not have cancer but may have a copy of the cancer gene. If a patient tests positive for a cancer gene, it affects how we screen her and her family members. Since they will be screened more frequently, we can catch a cancer as soon as it materializes, before it moves into a late stage.

How do genetics play into your practice?
As an oncologist, it’s my responsibility to investigate a patient’s family history in order to educate her on her risk. A patient with breast cancer, for example, might not make a connection between her cancer and a distant family member’s colon cancer; but in fact, this is a sign that there could be a genetic link. We pay special attention to patients who have developed any type of cancer before the age of 50 and those with family members who have had cancer.

How can we determine our risk?
A primary care physician can determine your risk and knows when to send you to seek the help of a specialist. If you are determined to be at risk, you should follow up with your gynecologist make an appointment to see an oncologist. You can also determine your risk by answering a series of questions online at www.halls.md/breast/risk.htm

ADDRESS:
4228 Houma Blvd., Suite 130
METAIRIE, LA 70006

PHONE:
(504) 883-2968

RESIDENCY:
Louisiana State University, Lafayette, LA

FELLOWSHIP: 
Hematology & Oncology
Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA

BOARD CERTIFICATIONS:
Hematology & Oncology

PHILOSOPHY:
“Treat patients with honesty and compassion, the way you would want to be treated, the way you would want your family members to be treated.”

Puzzling Summer Weight Gain, Explained
Sipping on cool summery drinks at the pool or beach, inevitably part of the warm weather agenda, is the most common way of increasing your sugar intake. Unfortunately, the food sold at snack bars is typically not-so-healthy and can pile on the fat and calories in no time. A bite or two of your kids’ chicken fingers, French fries, ice cream cone or the occasional handful of potato chips can quickly add up! Even seemingly healthier items such as tacos, cobb salads and wrap sandwiches can be culprits.

Fortunately, most snack bars and beachside cafes offer healthier choices:

Instead of fried chicken fingers with French fries (about 700 calories), try a grilled chicken sandwich with a side of fruit (435 calories).

Swap a grilled chicken Caesar wrap (a whopping 746 calories) for a turkey sandwich dressed with lettuce, tomato and pickles (a modest 375 calories).

Instead of a cobb salad (650 calories), try a grilled chicken salad with vinaigrette dressing (365 calories).

Trade nachos (approximately 350 calories for 6-8 chips) for a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread (about 275 calories).

Substitute ice cream treats (usually 200+ calories) for a fruit popsicle (about 60 calories), or enjoy a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Order fruit instead of fries to shave off between 200 and 300 calories. And no, sweet potato fries are not a better option. They have roughly the same fat and calories per serving.

Make healthy substitutions at home as well:

Instead of guacamole and chips, try salsa and Beanito chips. While guacamole is healthy, it’s still high in calories and very easy to overdo. Beanitos are made from pinto beans and flax, and contain more belly-filling fiber and protein.

Substitute a regular hamburger on a bulky white bun for a ground turkey breast burger on a whole wheat sandwich thin. You can even add all the tasty trimmings (lettuce, tomato, a little mayo, ketchup, etc.). Swapping out the bun and burger will save a few hundred calories and slash saturated fat.

Popular summer dishes and dips like potato salad, cole slaw and spinach dip can be made using Greek yogurt in place of at least half of the mayonnaise.

Watch Liquid Calories
Replace regular sodas and juices for water, sparkling fruit-flavored waters or unsweetened ice tea (add a splash of sweet tea if you like) to save roughly 150 calories. Frozen alcoholic drinks are enticing but can pack at least 300-400 calories each. Instead, opt for infused vodka and soda water with a splash of fruit juice and a squeeze of lemon and lime. You will still feel like you are sipping a festive drink. If you prefer beer, swap a regular beer (about 150+ calories) for a Michelob Ultra or a light lime-flavored beer.

The Take Away
The occasional indulgence is fine, but a three month splurge will make those cute sundresses and bathing suits fit a lot tighter. Beware of mindless snacking—it still counts! A few bites of the kids’ chicken fingers and French fries most days of the week for three months can amount to about a five-pound weight gain by Labor Day.

Ballet with a Twist
What: A mash-up of the best of ballet technique and modern dance, set to non-traditional music.

Who: Anyone who wants to learn a foundation of ballet technique or maintain previous ballet training.

Health Benefits: Toned, firmed muscles without bulk, improved posture, strengthened back and abdominal muscles.

Where: Dancing Grounds, Bywater (Email info@dancingrounds.org for location), www.dancingrounds.org

Belly Dancing
What: “Spiritually grounding, physically rewarding and aesthetically pleasing” belly dance classes in a variety of styles ranging from tribal to Balkan to cabaret fusion.

Who: Anyone interested in the graceful art of belly dancing, from the apprehensive beginner to the advanced belly dancer hoping to perform with a troupe.

Health Benefits: Increased oxygen intake, improved posture, muscle tone, flexibility and core strength.

Where: Crescent Lotus Dance, 3143 Calhoun St., www.crescentlotus.com

Make it Reyn
What: Set to a killer soundtrack, the “Make it Reyn” class is 45 minutes of hybrid cardio that can include anything from “ballroom to bounce to samba to sidekicks.”

Who: Anyone interested in a fun, high energy, shake-your-tail feathers workout.

Health Benefits: Improved coordination and cardiovascular function.

Where: Reyn Studios, 725 Magazine St., www.reynstudios.com

Local Dance Diva: Kryss Statho
Kryss Statho has danced all her life. As an adolescent, she studied ballet at Boston Ballet, but later came to Tulane to earn her bachelor’s degree in dance. Statho has not stopped dancing since, and has studied every form she can gain access to, from flamenco to her current focus: dance meditation. “For me, dance meditation is where all of the techniques of different types of dance and everything I’ve studied technically come together in an integrated practice.”

As the owner of Crescent Lotus Dance, Statho has brought one of the more diverse dance repertoires to New Orleans. An ever-changing roster of classes includes (at the moment): Cardio Salsa, West African Dance, Pole Dancing, Burlesque Dancing and several different types of Belly Dancing.

There is a reason for this impressive variety: Statho opened Crescent Lotus Dance with the goal of bringing multicultural dance forms to New Orleans and making them accessible to everyone. “It’s about building a community,” she said.

Gawk-Worthy Gear
For a stylish workout outfit that shows your local pride, pair a fun t-shirt or tank from The Elizabeth Chronicles with spandex pants or shorts. www.elizabethchronicles.com

Founded in 1991, New Orleans Auction Galleries is a major regional auction house located at the corner of Magazine and Julia Streets in the downtown Arts District. It houses plenty of paintings like the other galleries on the block, but its sprawling, second-floor space is also filled with furniture, silverware, porcelain, Coromandel screens, lighting fixtures and lots more. Most items carry an antique aura, but as Thomas said, “There’s something to fit every style here—even contemporary. If you don’t like a painting, you’re certain to find a piece of estate jewelry you’d like.”

Around every two months, the auction house holds a sale of roughly 1,500 items (or “lots,” which may be a set of items). Each sale lasts two or three days, and everything is sold on consignment, with the auction house earning a commission on each lot sold. In many cases, the consigners are the heirs of someone who has recently died.

“An auction is a way of bringing stuff to market that allows sellers to get better prices than they could at an estate sale,” Thomas said. “We don’t just get items from the South, but from all over the country. People like to sell through us because a particular piece might appeal to our specific audience, or sometimes they want to tap into the mystique of New Orleans.”

Bidders come from all over as well, and thanks to the Internet, participants need not even be in town while the auction is going on. All auctions are streamed online, and an employee in the back of the auction room holds up “Paddle 1000” whenever a bid arrives on the house computer screen.

The Internet has been a double-edged sword for the auction business, according to Thomas. On the plus side, it has broadened the reach of consigners, buyers and the business in general. On the other hand, the ability for buyers to do extensive research on an item and the ease of finding it through various vendors has exerted downward pressure on prices. That’s one reason New Orleans Auction House is always looking to attract and sell items that are unique or hard to find, according to Thomas.

The reserve on many items start at $100 or so but of course can go much higher. The house’s biggest single sale since its founding was a Philadelphia highboy (an ornate chest-of-drawers) which went for $731,000. Under Thomas’ tenure, the record sale was a Rodrigue blue dog painting that went for $98,400 to benefit the George Rodrigue Foundation for the Arts.

Thomas started in June 2012 and is entirely new to the auction business. “I never thought my career would take me here,” he said. “I enjoy art, but I don’t have a background in it. Luckily, I inherited a capable staff of consigner agents who are specialists in paintings, silver, furniture or whatever their fields might be.”

Thomas grew up in New Orleans, studied math in college in Dallas, and then worked as a bartender at the House of Blues. Later, he took a course in computers and joined the IT department of Brooke Staffing, a regional temp agency. Over the years, he took on more and more duties at Brooke and eventually rose to the position of president. The owner of Brooke Staffing, who was also an investor in New Orleans Auction Galleries, offered him his current position. Thomas’ technical and administrative talents prepared him for the job.

“Running an auction house entails a massive effort of coordination,” he said. “For our upcoming sale, we have 1,600 lots to track, catalogue and photograph. We plan a party before each sale. The event itself is crunch time, and after it’s over, we have to arrange pick-ups, pay consigners and start all over again. There’s no slow period.”

Since joining the firm, Thomas has redone the phone system, changed how photos are stored and updated the computers. As his process of modernizing the auction house continues, he is continually exposed to thousands of fascinating pieces.

“I have a collector’s eye, and something always catches my attention,” he said. “But I haven’t bought anything yet. I’m trying not to.”

Hall and Oates still thrive creatively, touring together and also flourishing as individual artists, with recent projects such as Hall’s multi-award winning web series and now nationally syndicated television show, “Live From Daryl’s House,” which features Hall jamming with various colleagues from Cee Lo Green to the Blind Boys of Alabama in a home-grown setting, and Oates’ “Good Road to Follow,” a collection of fresh new songs digitally released each month, which are eclectic musical collaborations of Oates with myriad artists such as Vince Gill and Hot Chelle Rae. And at long last, Hall and Oates are making their Jazz Fest debut this year, taking the Gentilly Stage by storm on Sunday, May 5 at 4:00 pm, to put on what is sure to become a legendary performance. “New Orleans Living” spoke with Hall and Oates about their fondness for New Orleans, Oates’ bygone mustachioed days and the gratification of having produced fabulous music that has stood the test of time to be rendered classic.

Hi Daryl! It’s wonderful to hear that you and John will headline the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year. Is this your first time performing at Jazz Fest?

Hall: Yes, it is actually. Over the years we’ve played in New Orleans and all over Louisiana countless times, and I don’t know why this is our first time performing at Jazz Fest. We certainly fit into the Jazz Fest format, so better late than never.

With your rich history in the soulful city of Philadelphia, it must be cool for you to be able to visit New Orleans, another awesome music town.

Hall: Yes, I feel a real affinity for New Orleans. After spending so much time in Philly, another serious music town, I can resonate with the music and the people in New Orleans. The city has made some really wonderful contributions to music. And it goes without saying that I want to eat a lot of great food while I’m there. I love looking at the antiques on Royal Street, and really, I just like to walk around the streets of New Orleans and take it all in.

You are fond of restoring historic properties, so checking out the architecture in New Orleans must be a blast for you.

Hall: Yes, I love history and involving myself in historic restorations. When I’m not doing my music, I’m building homes! I enjoy taking full notice of the buildings wherever I am, and New Orleans has some seriously beautiful architecture. That is another aspect of New Orleans that I truly love.

Got a great memory of New Orleans you can share?

Hall: One that really stands out is when John and I were the kings of Mardi Gras at the Endymion parade in 1989. It was raining and freezing for the parade but we really had a blast. It was exciting and thrilling and miserable all at the same time! I don’t know how many hours we were on that float but it felt like forever. People were going crazy! I remember we played music until early the next morning at the after-party at the Super Dome, and the Nevilles played there too.

Fate is a funny thing: you and John actually met while trying to escape a gang fight in the 60s in Philadelphia that may have involved guns and chains swirling about, right?

Hall: Yes, that is true. I was in the band The Temptones and John was in The Masters and we both had 45s out, and we were at this record hop where you would go and lip-sync your records. A fight erupted and chaos ensued, and people fled the scene and John and I happened to jump into the same elevator together. That’s how we discovered we were both students at Temple University and that’s when our friendship began. Yeah, that was typical Philadelphia! (Laughs).

Hall and Oates’ music has been sampled and recorded by other artists over the years, heard in everything from Simply Red’s “Sunrise” to Jimmy Wayne’s “Sara Smile,” so that must be a big compliment after all those years of making music you believed in, from the 70s through the crazy MTV years of the 80s through today.

Hall: Yes, it is. As an artist, you aspire to be inspirational to other musicians and I’m proud to say that we have done that. And John and I have been through so much in this industry, we’re beyond friends—we’re brothers at this point. The only possible way we could have survived those times was by staying true to ourselves and to the music. I’m certainly no fan of rock music videos and that kind of thing, but MTV was good for some things like understanding television. I learned how to be a VJ for VH1 so it did have its benefits.

Well, your series “Live From Daryl’s House” is so “anti-music video” since it features you and musicians like Smokey Robinson or Todd Rundgren just hanging out and playing live music, which is quite different from the over-produced singing shows on television now.

Hall: You’re exactly right. That was the goal with “Live From Daryl’s House.” Those shows are not rehearsed in advance; the musicians come over and we come together and play music. We’re hanging out and doing what we want to do, which is playing great music. And I never know what to expect from each show, it’s very spontaneous, but something great and unexpected always occurs during these live tapings. Having Smokey Robinson on was surreal, because I have idolized him since childhood, and Todd and I go way back. I really enjoy all of the musicians who have performed on the show; they’re true professionals. And my band is amazing. I’m not a fan of the music shows out there today and “Live From Daryl’s House” is the opposite of those shows.

John shaved his iconic moustache years ago. Do you ever miss it?

Hall: John shaved his moustache, what, 22 years ago? He shaved his moustache and he shaved his whole head bald at the same time. It was a package deal! And no, I don’t miss it. It’s just facial hair.

Hi John! Tell us about your newly released single “Stand Strong,” which has a really great guitar riff to it.

Oates: It’s is the first song I recorded for my new project, “Good Road to Follow.” It’s kind of a musical journey and the idea is to release a song every month for a year instead of putting them all on a CD. It’s an opportunity for me to do lots of different song styles because if you don’t put them all on one record, they don’t necessarily have to fit together, and I have a wide variety of tastes. I did this song with my friend Teddy Morgan, the musical director for Kevin Costner’s band (my wife and his wife were childhood friends). That riff was kind of inspired by a Michael Jackson riff. We wanted this big, bold Americana thing with a theme of brotherhood and solidarity. I’m releasing a couple of free tracks until June, when a really big song will be released. The idea is to keep people engaged.

How excited are you to play Jazz Fest for the first time?

Oates: Oh! Very excited! We are so pumped up to play. It’s going to be off the hook. Jazz Fest is on my bucket list. I’ve been to New Orleans many times but never to Jazz Fest. It makes it even better now that we’re playing. And because of “Good Road to Follow,” I’m going into a studio in New Orleans the day after Jazz Fest and recording with some amazing New Orleans musicians and good friends of mine: Chad Gilmore, who is Marc Broussard’s drummer; George Porter Jr. is playing bass and Scott Theriot is playing guitar. I want to get these different flavors in my music and recording in Louisiana is on my bucket list too.

How cool! You are a founder of the 7908 Aspen Songwriter Festival, and New Orleans icon Allen Toussaint was featured at that festival a few years ago.

Oates: Oh, absolutely! It was a thrill to have Allen there at the first festival. Sam Bush and I sat in with him that night and that was a highlight of my life to play with him. Needless to say, Allen’s a legend and I am a longtime fan. I’m hoping to see him during Jazz Fest. He’s an amazing person. I just have so much respect for Allen and what he’s accomplished over the years and his musicianship.

Allen Toussaint is a lovely man! You seem to have many New Orleans connections.

Oates: Interestingly enough, one of the first places that Daryl and I became popular in the early 70s was Louisiana. I have no idea what happened, but somehow our music connected. We would come to Louisiana and spend a month playing Natchitoches, Louisiana Tech, Baton Rouge—you name it. So I’ve always had an affinity for Louisiana and New Orleans.

It is great to see your influence in your hometown of Aspen, like at the Wheeler Opera House. My husband and I ducked into a ski lodge in Aspen one evening last winter and there was this fantastic duo playing live music by a roaring fireplace. Come to find out, they were in the John Oates Band! We were like, “No wonder they sound like total pros!” And being from New Orleans, of course we had to have a drink or two with your awesome drummer, John Michel. (Laughs)

Oates: (Laughs). That doesn’t surprise me! That’s great to hear. That’s really nice of you Christine, thanks so much. Yes, John Michel and Michael Jude are in my band. They’re truly fantastic guys.

Some of your big hits with Hall and Oates were in the 80s, but music-wise, what has been your favorite time during your career thus far?

Oates: In the 70s, I think the music we made was more adventurous and interesting, because we experimented and tried lots of different things. In the 80s, we got into this pop thing that radio and the record companies embraced and we were kind of locked into a thing, like a monster that we created for ourselves. So honestly, even though we had the most success in the 80s, it wasn’t my favorite time. My favorite time has been what happened after the 80s and my ability to live a more authentic life and to get to this point where I have this incredible foundation of Hall and Oates and still work with Daryl, but also I love doing individual projects with all these other amazing creative people. I have the best of all worlds now, and for me, the best time is now.

In the past, music critics didn’t always give Hall and Oates’ music the critical acclaim it deserved. But that’s different today; your music is truly classic!

Oates: We didn’t really pay much attention to critics. I think because we were so successful and had so many hits, people tended to toss us off as these formulized hit makers, which couldn’t be further from the truth. If you actually listen to the big hits we had in the 80s, every one of them is completely different. It wasn’t like we were following a formula; what we were doing was writing great songs and those songs have stood the test of time. And I think the fact that we are now being appreciated for what we accomplished is very gratifying. Daryl and I never doubted ourselves. We’re just glad the world has figured it out.

Have you noticed this moustache craze lately? Women wear fake ones out in public and there are plastic moustache straws stuck in drinks at bars. Do you ever miss that amazing ‘stache you once sported?

Oates: That one? Not really. But I do kind of have a goatee thing now. Facial hair comes and goes; it’s kind of like wearing a hat, you know? (Laughs). But it’s cool, and hey, the moustache is back and it was back in the 1800s too. I think it’s kind of funny.

Recently, I interviewed McDonald by phone. Known simply as “Audra” to her fans, she was an engaging, warm and intelligent conversationalist.

BH: Seth Rudetsky was your accompanist for the musical theater portion of your senior recital at Juilliard. How did you meet?

AM: He says we met doing one audition and I say it was an audition for something else. Either way, it was around 1989. We have been buddies and partners in crime as far as music is concerned, and we’re very close. I’ve watched as his career blossomed and then bloomed. It’s a very rich long, long relationship.

BH: What is it like collaborating with him?

AM: Easy. Everything you can dream about. He has so much passion and love for musical theater that it’s a love fest up there. While you’re on the stage with him, you’re just trying so hard to stop laughing because he’s such a funny man. When we go on stage together, I’m never nervous.

BH: Do you get anxious before performing?

AM: Yes. In fact, there have been situations where I’ve passed out. It’s [a condition] called overactive parasympathetic nervous system, so my body shuts down. It’s something I have to be very careful about, making sure I’m hydrated and have lots of protein in my system before I go onstage. It’s about managing my energy so I can communicate what I need to in concert.

BH: You won your first Tony award for “Carousel” a year after you graduated from Juilliard. How did you process that success and keep your head on straight?

AM: I have yet to process that. [Laughter]. I’ve always had people in my life who keep me grounded. The people who are closest to me won’t let me get too big of a head or start to think too much of myself. I’m so grateful, because if you get too big of a head, regard yourself that highly, you lose touch with yourself and your humanity a little bit.

BH: How do you keep your concert and stage performances fresh?
AM: I tend not to chat with a lot of people before I go onstage; I like to be very, very quiet. I also stay as open as possible, so I can make what I call the Holy Communion between an audience and a performer. When people leave my concerts, I want them to feel like they’ve been in my living room for a while.

BH: How do you keep challenging yourself?

AM: I keep looking for work that scares me. If something about [a project] makes my heart pound a bit—if something makes me say, “I don’t know if I can do that”—I know it’s something I absolutely must pursue.

BH: I saw you perform an aria from “Doctor Atomic.” The composer, John Adams, was the conductor. What is it like performing under the baton of the composer?

AM: You can guess or find your way around a piece, but if the composer’s there, you can say, “Hey, what did you mean by this?” They know the music better than anybody. At the same time, you’re more nervous, because you’re trying so hard to interpret the music the way John Adams wants you to. Having said that, there’s nothing like it. I learn so much when I get to hear composers sing or play what they’ve written.

BH: Have you been to New Orleans before?

AM: Fairly early in my relationship with Will we went down to New Orleans and just had an amazing time. We fell so in love with this city. I love the flavor, the pulse, the history. It’s just as alive and pulsating as New York, though they’re very different.

BH: This is the inaugural season of Broadway at NOCCA. It’s exciting for the city to have these wonderful shows here.

AM: Well, I can’t speak for the other girls, but I mirror that excitement.

If, after you see the concert, you want to hear more Audra McDonald (which you will), her latest CD, “Go Back Home,” is available for presale at www.nonesuch.com. The album will be widely available on May 21. A “Live at Lincoln Center” special featuring McDonald in concert will air on PBS on May 24 (check local listings for more details).

By Beth Herstein

Kirk Coco never thought he would own a brewery. “My mom wanted me to be a lawyer, but I hated it.” After earning his bachelor’s and law degrees from Louisiana State University and his MBA from the University of New Orleans, Coco decided to join the military. At the age of 28, he joined the Navy and enjoyed an 11-year career as a surface warfare officer. “I was lucky enough to travel the world; Asia, Australia, Spain, Italy,” he recalled. “It made me realize how unique New Orleans really is.”

Like many native New Orleanians living away from home, Coco returned after the levee failures in 2005 to help the city start anew. He also knew that no matter how many times he moved away, he would always come back home. He believes that “when you are born here, you’ll live here for life.” Coco’s investment in the future of New Orleans took the form of a brewery because he was upset that Dixie, a long-time New Orleans brewer, gave in under the pressures of Katrina and moved operations to Wisconsin.

NOLA Brewing, located in the Irish Channel, has been in operation since 2008. The brewery was founded by Coco and Peter Caddoo, the skilled former brewmaster of Dixie Beer. The dynamic duo has doubled production every year since the brewery’s inception. A slow growth, but that’s exactly the way they want it. “We want our focus to be on quality,” said Coco.

Visit the Tchoupitoulas Street brewery for a free tour; you’ll meet the staff and drink free NOLA beer. Taste their classic stout, NOLA Brown with hints of chocolate, coffee and caramel or sip a seasonal Flambeau Red with seven malts and three different hop varieties. Along with many bars and stores in town (not to mention all over the Gulf Coast), you can find NOLA brews at local events like Hogs for the Cause, their annual Easter Keg Hunt and the upcoming Jazz in the Park, which begins May 30 in Armstrong Park.

Locally born and raised, Robert Bruce started his career in the kitchen at the tender age of 15, washing dishes at Andrew Martin’s Cuisine. In his high school years, Bruce was fortunate enough to spend three summers under the wing of Roland Huet, an “old-school French chef who barely spoke any English.” Huet taught Bruce the basics, along with his grandmother, who regaled him with smothered pork chops and mustard greens and taught him to “cook from the heart” and “clean as you go.”

After graduating from Wales University with an Associate’s degree in culinary arts, Bruce went on to Florida International University where he earned a Bachelor’s in hotel restaurant management. Bruce has worked in kitchens all over New Orleans, including Upperline, Maylie’s Restaurant, Commander’s Palace, Ruth’s Chris and Emeril’s. Although he’s also been at the helm of several other local eateries like Smith & Wollensky, Palace Cafe and the Westbank’s Fountain Park Centre, Bruce enjoys the freedom he’s found in opening The Little Gem Saloon.

“I like to teach people how to cook,” Bruce explained. “I have high expectations of my employees and they have high expectations of me.” He believes in starting out simple and gradually creating dishes that are more complicated, challenging his employees step by step. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to hand pick good people [for Little Gem Saloon].” Although managing a restaurant that is also a music venue and a banquet facility can be challenging at times, he has been excited about the future of this Rampart Street location since he worked across the street at the now closed Smith & Wollensky Restaurant. “I kept my eye on that space during its construction and was excited about its future.”

The Little Gem Saloon’s latest, most popular feature is their Live Jazz Brunch, which includes a three-piece jazz band, valet parking and all-you-can-drink mimosas for only $35. During the week, enjoy lunch or dinner, and be sure to round out your meal with a performance from local musicians like Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns, Delfeayo Marsalis or Kermit Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers.

A Chapelle High School graduate, Kelly Boffone is a local girl who gives back to the community she loves through pastry. Boffone has adored cooking since she was a young girl, watching Julia Child and Yan Can Cook instead of Saturday morning cartoons. As a high school junior, Kelly began working at Maurice’s French Pastries, where she was inspired and encouraged by owner Jean-Luc Albin, who said she was “a natural.”

After graduating with a BS in Culinary Arts, Baffone honed her skills at local restaurants like Charley G’s and Vega Tapas, then moved on to a five-year stint teaching baking and pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis. Baffone felt compelled to come home after the levees failed in 2005 and was later hired as the Executive Pastry Chef at Emeril’s flagship restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street.

Less than a year ago, Boffone opened The Peacebaker on Veterans Avenue across from Lafreniere Park. The Metairie bakery is dedicated to providing gluten-free and vegan pastries to her community so that folks who suffer from celiac disease, wheat allergies or gluten sensitivity can now enjoy long-missed items, everything from king cakes to eclairs. “Peacebaker is my family, my baby, my husband,” Baffone said emphatically. “I use my talents to make wonderful things for people who can’t normally eat them.”

You might think those deprived would crave items like cakes or cookies, but Baffone claims that her top-sellers are usually simple, everyday pastries. “I get a lot of input and ideas from my customers. People will come in and say ‘I really miss ‘English muffins.’” In fact, the item of the moment at The Peacebaker is the biscuit. “It makes me so happy to make people happy!”

Inside the car, a varnished, wooden pole extended from the dashboard through the tailgate. The “box” was an eight-foot El Toro sailboat, and the pole turned out to be its mast. On this tiny craft, the father taught his kid to sail on the lake behind their Virginia home. The boy didn’t realize it at the time, but he had just received a special opportunity that only a fraction of people can take advantage of. The emergence of a community sailing center in New Orleans will make that opportunity available to everyone.

New Orleans has a rich sailing tradition, and Lake Pontchartrain has long been a great sailing venue. For decades, New Orleans has regularly hosted regional, national and international championship regattas in numerous sailboat classes. New Orleans can boast of Olympic medalists, America’s Cup crew members and national champions. These days, the West End anchors most of the sailing scene, and virtually all of the south shore’s sailboat racing. The West End is also home to the area’s two largest yacht clubs, New Orleans Yacht Club (NOYC) and Southern Yacht Club (SYC).

NOYC and SYC take turns hosting regattas throughout the year. They are among the thousands of yacht clubs worldwide that are, and will remain, mainstays in sailing. But yacht clubs are private, membership organizations, and while most have a variety of membership categories (NOYC and SYC both do), the reality is that not everybody who wants to sail in New Orleans will be able to do it from a yacht club. Yacht clubs typically maintain fleets of club-owned boats and a membership can be costly.

Besides the obvious need for proximity to water and access to an expensive boat, you’ll need to learn to sail. It isn’t rocket science, but persuading a boat to move through the water propelled only by the wind does require some technique. And like just about any other skill that is best learned with an instructor, learning to sail is not free.

The creation of the Community Sailing Center of New Orleans (CSNOI), at the southeast corner of the outer harbor at West End, will expand sailing opportunities for New Orleanians of all ages and physical ability. This not-for-profit corporation’s mission is to “eliminate the economic and physical obstacles to sailing for all in the greater New Orleans area.” CSNOI’s President, John Manard, made the distinction that this sailing center will be an asset meant for the entire community, not simply an outgrowth of the existing sailing community. That starts with the eight-member CSNOI Board of Directors, made up of executives in banking, law, other non–profits, journalism and the city’s parks department.

Theirs, and other local pro-bono efforts since 2010, have culminated in a facility design, an agreed site lease this year from the city’s Municipal Yacht Harbor and a final proposal which is poised to appear before the mayor and city council. “Many U.S. cities already have successful community sailing centers,” said Manard, “but this really is a first for New Orleans.”

Plans to collaborate with city and state civic and outreach programs, like the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) and the Louisiana Outdoors Outreach Program (LOOP), as well as local public schools, will create a variety of options for using the sailing center. Family memberships, individual use, sailing classes, group outings and summer camp-style programs open to the public will all be available.

CSNOI will align with existing collegiate sailing programs at Tulane, UNO and Loyola, and is also working with Xavier to develop of a sailing program, giving our local colleges a home base at the sailing center. The center’s future site will sit atop the current Tulane sailing team’s facility, and college sailors will be a likely pool of instructors.

CSNOI estimates a three-year continuing effort to reach a fully functioning community sailing center in 2016. During this time, private donations will become the lifeblood of the funding necessary to build and resource the center. Once it’s up and running, reasonable and scalable fees will sustain operations. In the meantime, there are always a few ways to experience sailing. Try out the popular Wednesday Twilight Racing; many friendly boat owners are happy to invite new sailors onboard.

Joel Berry is a retired Marine Corps Colonel and a local sailor. He thanks his dad for the light blue box.

Get EleVated: Rooftop Yoga
What do you get when you pair lululemon athletica with the New Orleans W Hotel? Serious cool. The two have teamed up to offer EleVation: A Rooftop Yoga Series. The event features a revolving list of New Orleans’ most popular yoga instructors, musicians, DJs and bands doing their thing at one of the city’s hippest outdoor locale’s.

The Scene: Moonlight reflecting off of the pool. The lively beats of local musicians. One of the best views of the city. What could be more inspirational for a twilight yoga session?
When: Every Thursday evening, 5:30-7:30 pm
Where: The rooftop WET deck of W New Orleans

Att-en-tion! New Orleans’ #1 Boot Camp
Fitness Challenge Boot Camp, the fun yet demanding four-week fitness boot camp consistently ranked as the city’s favorite, provides a high-intensity workout in a supportive team environment.
The Scene: The sun rising over the lush palms of City Park. You breathe in the cold, fresh air as you and your fellow recruits work up a sweat, burning serious calories before the rest of the city is even awake.
When: Year round (upcoming series: April 1-April 27, April 29-May 25, May 27-June 22)
Where: City Park

Be an Ironman (or woman): New Orleans’ Spring Triathlon
For local endurance junkies, the Ochsner Ironman is the ultimate test. Like triathlons everywhere, it joins the best of outdoor exercise: swimming, biking and running; but unlike other triathlons, the Ochsner Ironman traverses one of the most visually stimulating (and, thankfully—flat) cities in the U.S.

The Scene: New Orleans’ fittest braving a grueling trifecta under the April sunshine: a 1.2-mile swim through Lake Ponchartrain, a 56-mile bike ride along the lakefront and into the depths of Bayou Sauvage and a 13.1-mile run along City Park and Esplanade Avenue, coming to a triumphant finish in the French Quarter.
When: April 21 (Race begins at 6:45 am)
Where: South Shore Harbor Marina
Fitness Fanatic: Nolan Ferraro
Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor, Wellness Coach
Owner and Operator, Salire Fitness and Pilates Studio and Fitness Challenge Boot Camp

Our motto is “100% movement, 100% percent of the time,” said Nolan Ferraro of the consistently popular Fitness Challenge Boot Camp he founded in 2009. “After Katrina, I wanted to serve a greater population of our community; not everyone can afford personal training.”

Ferraro’s boot camp is famous for its camaraderie, bolstered by little touches like the occasional treats of espresso and bagels that make an appearance at the Saturday camps. “You know,” confided Ferraro. “I met my wife at boot camp.”

Gawk-Worthy Gear
FITS Sock Co.
Massey’s Outfitters, $14.99
Unlike cotton, the merino wool of FITS socks won’t retain moisture, so you’ll be high and dry no matter what a spring workout throws your way.

Toms Polarized Sunglasses
Massey’s Outfitters, $148
The oversized, polarized lenses keep your eyes safe from both UVA and UVB rays. The vintage butterfly angles keep you looking chic under the sun.

Did You Know?
Recent research suggests that outdoor exercise might beat a trip to the gym in terms of health benefits. A 2008 Scottish Health Survey found that outdoor physical activity had a 50 percent greater positive effect on mental health than a gym workout.

by Annie Bleeker

Chelsea’s mother, Cindy, took over the dive shop in 1986 after Harry Caldwell passed away unexpectedly. Remembering those difficult days, Cindy said she couldn’t have kept the shop going without “good employees, good friends and good family.” She had Chelsea’s health to worry about, too: the eleven-month-old was admitted for heart surgery a week before her first birthday, enduring complications before being sent home to recover.

Growing up in and around the dive shop, Chelsea swam, scuba’d and helped out with lessons and trips until she was fifteen. That summer, she got sick twice in three months. She was too weak to leave her bed, suffering from nausea and chest pains, unable to catch her breath. Several doctors found nothing wrong with her, but after she and Cindy had to abort a difficult dive because Chelsea was dizzy and in pain, they sought a different opinion.

Chelsea was diagnosed with primary pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare disorder characterized by abnormally high blood pressure in vessels of the heart and lungs. The disease affects almost three times as many women as men, causing fatigue, decreased exercise tolerance, chest pain, enlarged ventricles and eventual heart failure. There was “very, very little” medical literature on pulmonary hypertension, said Cindy, until the weight loss supplement Fen-Phen was found to trigger it in predisposed takers of the supplement.

There is no cure for pulmonary hypertension. Chelsea was told that she would live two to five more years.

Shocked and heartbroken, Cindy began to research Chelsea’s disease. She found that by a stroke of fortune, a trial for a new drug to treat pulmonary hypertension was being conducted at the Louisiana State Medical Center, one of only eleven trials in the United States. The physician conducting the study, Dr. Bennett Deboisblanc, had worked at Harry’s Dive Shop in the ‘70s and had been friends with Cindy’s older brother. Cindy called him. The timing was right: Chelsea was accepted into the double-blind study. She immediately began taking a mystery medication, either a placebo or the real drug, known as Tracleer® or Bosentan.

When Chelsea began to sweat and shake, Cindy knew that her daughter was being given the real drug. Tracleer’s primary function is to block a substance named endothelin from binding to receptors and causing blood vessels to constrict. With Tracleer in the way, vessels remain unconstricted, keeping blood pressure as low as possible and reducing strain on the heart.

At the conclusion of the drug study, it was revealed to Chelsea, Cindy and Dr. Ben that she had indeed been taking Tracleer. Despite recurrent chest pains, Chelsea’s health had improved, and she wanted to continue taking the drug. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration had not yet approved Tracleer for use in the United States. Dr. Ben’s hands were tied; he couldn’t keep giving Chelsea the drug that was saving her life one day at a time. Without it, her health declined again, and her chest pains intensified.

Chelsea’s family members pleaded with the hospital on her behalf, but were unable to get Chelsea the drug. Cindy turned to other channels, eventually procuring Tracleer through its Swiss biopharmaceutical manufacturer, Actelion.

Chelsea took the medication daily throughout high school and college, graduating summa cum laude from the Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University and maintaining the determinedly bright outlook that carried her through bad days. At college, Chelsea met Robert Yates, and immediately told her mother she would marry him.

She was put on the transplant list at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and enrolled in graduate school to keep her health insurance. Finally, after seven calls alerting Chelsea to the possibility of a double lung and heart transplant, she received new organs on January 4, 2010.

Cindy recalled her daughter’s convalescence, musing, “Transplant is an interesting thing. You often to some degree assume the likes and dislikes of the donor.” Chelsea, who had never liked meat before her surgery, gained a taste for it. She passed her days in bed completing her master’s degree in English literature via video conference, cross-stitching and talking to a group of online friends who shared this hobby.

Chelsea and Robert were married at the Peristyle in City Park on a sunny March day just three months after her transplant. In May of 2010, the couple joined family members for a boat ride and snorkeling trip in Vortex Springs, Florida. Chelsea was ecstatic to be back in the water.

Cindy described these post-transplant months as “a learning experience,” as her daughter got used to having a new heart that changed her tastes and even her feelings. Throughout her recovery, Chelsea continued to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension, sharing what she had learned through trial, research and experimentation—for example, that intake of salt and vitamin K should be severely limited, and patients should avoid processed, frozen and canned foods. She wanted people to know what was involved in managing the disease, and promoted a diet of fresh foods and greens. “It goes back to the way we should all eat,” said Cindy.

Along with her outreach efforts, Chelsea returned to Harry’s Dive Shop to pursue her lifelong passion for diving. “Always smiling, always helpful” and fond of kids, Chelsea started Swim Smart at Harry’s, a swimming school for special needs children. “She did not tolerate people’s ignorance, people choosing to turn a blind eye,” remembered Cindy.

Her transplant gave Chelsea sixteen months of full, rich life with Robert and her family. Sadly, no transplant is without complications. On July 17, 2011, Chelsea contracted pneumonia and died in the course of a single day.

On April 7, 2013, Harry’s Dive Shop will host a benefit for the Chelsea’s Radiant Smile Foundation and the LSU Health Sciences Foundation. The goal of the event, explained Cindy, is to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension and to educate patients on the importance of taking care of themselves. Even now, she said, the disease “doesn’t even have a chair at the table of medical recognition.”

The benefit will take place at the Peristyle, with a run/walk around City Park and a silent auction of restaurant gift certificates, diving equipment and some of Chelsea’s jewelry and personal items. Home-cooked food and baked goods will be offered, and attendees can meet Dr. Ben, Chelsea’s physician and longtime family friend.

To donate to the Chelsea’s Radiant Smile Foundation, help spread awareness of pulmonary hypertension and support education about this fatal disease, visit www.lsuhscfoundation.org

How did you choose cardiovascular and thoracic surgery?
During my residency in General Surgery, I had the opportunity to do a rotation with cardiothoracic surgeons. I fell in love with the technical aspects of cardiothoracic surgery and realized that I found it most rewarding and challenging to work with critical patients.

What does an average day look like?
I start my patient rounds between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning. I’m in surgery from 7:30 until about 4:00 and then I continue with patient rounds in the evenings.

What sort of patients do you typically see?
Most of my patients are between the ages of 60 and 80. They typically present with conditions that affect the heart, such as coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease. I also see quite a few patients with lung abnormalities.

What surgical procedures do you perform most often?
Coronary artery bypass, where we’re grafting veins and arteries from other parts of the body to a patient’s coronary arteries, and heart valve operations, where we’re either repairing or replacing one or more of a patient’s heart valves.

Which surgery most challenges you?
Inserting a ventricular assist device (VAD)—or an artificial heart pump—in patients who have experienced heart failure. A VAD either partially or completely replaces the function of a failing heart. This procedure is almost always challenging and technically demanding because of the nature of dealing with an artificial pump and because patients who need a pump tend to be quite ill.

Have any recent medical breakthroughs changed the way you practice medicine?
VADs provide opportunities for patients who are not transplant candidates, and in the last few years, these devices have improved significantly in terms of providing survival and quality of life to recipients.
Additionally, endovascular stent grafts have allowed us to treat abdominal aneurisms without having to do an open surgical procedure. Instead, we can place a stent graft inside an aortic aneurysm using a thin plastic tube that will then contain the compressed stent graft. The result is that now we can extend patients’ lives with a much less invasive procedure.

What do you like most about your job?
Interacting with my patients and their families. They are very appreciative of the effort I put into their cases and understand that what I do is not routine.

What are the most important things people can do to keep their hearts healthy?
Exercise, lose weight, don’t smoke and eat fresh, healthy foods. My surgeries tend to be temporizing measures; if patients continue bad habits, whatever improved blood flow we’ve achieved will not last.

ADDRESS:
Crescent City Cardiovascular Associates
3715 Prytania Street, Suite 400
New Orleans, LA 70115

PHONE:
(504) 897-8276

RESIDENCY:
General Surgery, LSU Charity Hospital, New Orleans, LA

FELLOWSHIP:
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR

SPECIALTIES:
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

PHILOSOPHY:
“It’s important to individualize patient care so that patients understand how crucial their role is in their outcome.”

Why did you choose to specialize in otolaryngology?
I was already interested in the anatomy of the head and neck area and how different disease processes present in that area. But it wasn’t until medical school, when I took an elective in ENT, that I saw how diverse a specialty it was. Within that diversity, I was especially intrigued by the multidisciplinary nature of treating cancers of the head and neck. I wanted to be able to alleviate such potentially debilitating cancers and I welcomed the added challenge of post-surgical reconstruction, radiation and chemotherapy treatment. I was fascinated by how the three modalities could combine to
treat a patient.

Can you describe your background in research?
During my fellowship at MD Anderson, I discovered a gene—a serine protease inhibitor expressed in a number of oral cancers—and my colleagues and I were later able to clone it.

Later, I worked with radiation biologists to examine small-dose radiation that was, at the time, considered not to have a killing effect on the cells. However, we discovered that the low doses of radiation were actually very effective in initiating the cell-killing cascade. Thus, we determined that the same efficacy could be achieved with lower doses of radiation.

I remained very interested in radiation, and began to investigate the risk of cancer in patients with metabolic syndrome; for example, smokers or obese people with diabetes, heart disease or high cholesterol. We identified why these patients are more at risk for developing certain types of cancers, and were then able to evaluate what kind of therapeutic drugs could be taken to reduce that risk.

Please describe your most challenging surgical cases.
Those with complex pathologies in which I need to make decisions about what to remove. This happens most often with aggressive cancers of the skin, thyroid or mandible, or large sinus cancers. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of considering all available alternatives and ramifications. With these kinds of cases, it’s crucial to have a mastery of the way different tumors should be treated.

What do you like most about your job?
Being able to work with patients—to educate them, answer their questions, investigate the problem together, then bring them through surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. My most rewarding moments are when a patient comes to my office a few weeks after surgery and has had a great outcome, and later, when I get to watch that patient regain himself physically, emotionally and functionally.

How do you help patients through this process?
I want patients to feel they can ask me anything. I speak directly, I don’t minimize their problems or dumb things down and I let them know I will be there in any way possible. It’s important to realize that not all problems are 100% medical and there is a strong emotional component that must be taken into consideration.

What are some medical advances that have changed the way you practice medicine?
New treatment options greatly reduce the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. With radiation therapy, different beams allow for better treatment of skin cancer and tumors deep below the skin’s surface.

With new chemotherapeutic agents, we are able to use small molecules that inactivate certain genes and proteins that promote cancer growth.

Genetic testing has played a huge part in better determining what drugs will be most effective in treating certain types of cancers. Now that we can identify the expression of proteins in cancerous tissues, we are able to apply a more specialized approach.

ADDRESS:
4315 Houma Blvd., Suite 401
Metairie, LA 70006

PHONE:
(504) 889-5335

RESIDENCY:
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

FELLOWSHIP:
Head & Neck Surgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

SPECIALTIES:
Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat)
Head & Neck Surgery

PHILOSOPHY:
“Listen to patients’ concerns and process them using both medical training and compassion.”

What brought you to New Orleans?
I had been in private practice in Atlanta for over twenty years when LSU offered me the opportunity to develop a section of colon and rectal surgery, in addition to teaching medical students and residents. I made the decision to come to New Orleans and have so far been thrilled with the city. The people are amazing and I love being able to walk almost anywhere.

What does an average day look like for you?
For me, every day is a mix of seeing patients, performing endoscopy and doing surgeries at the hospital.

How did you decide to become a colorectal surgeon?
During the third and fourth years of my residency at Long Island Jewish Hospital, I had the opportunity to work with colorectal surgeons who had a profound influence on me. In terms of my sub-specialty, it was the variety that appealed to me. It encompasses endoscopy as well treating minor anal/rectal diseases like hemorrhoids and fistulas and performing complex major abdominal procedures.

Who are your patients?
Most of my cancer patients are above the age of 50. My patients with inflammatory bowel disease are in their teens and twenties and my hemorrhoid patients are all ages as hemorrhoids can strike at any time in a patient’s life.

What are your most challenging surgical cases?
I am most challenged by cancers of the rectum because the treatment approach must be multidisciplinary. I work together with a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist, and I’m involved with these cases throughout the disease process, from diagnosis to treatment to recovery.

Additionally, patients undergoing rectal surgery would obviously like to maintain normal bowel function, so my challenge is to salvage that function but still remove their cancer.

What recent medical advance has changed the way you practice medicine?
Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery allows me to perform the same cancer operations using small incisions as opposed to the open surgeries of earlier years. The benefits to the patient are decreased pain, shorter hospital stay, quicker return of bowel function, faster recovery and a decreased number of wound infections.

Previously, a patient would need to stay in the hospital for 10-12 days after having a left-sided colon cancer removed. With the new minimally invasive surgical techniques, that stay has been reduced to 4.7 days on average and the patient can return to work two to three weeks after the surgery.

When I first went into practice, no one in my field was using laparoscopy. In early 90s I was one of the first surgeons to use laparoscopy for colon and rectal surgeries. I’ve had the advantage of using this technology throughout its evolution.

What do you like most about your job?
Everything—I love the procedures I perform, I love teaching residents, but most of all I love interacting with my patients. I enjoy explaining the disease process, the treatment plan, the goals, the role their participation plays and how we need to work together. I can gain so much from simply listening to my patients. I make sure they know that regardless of whether they suffer from a minor or major problem, I am available to them during and after treatment.

ADDRESS:
3700 St. Charles Ave, 5th Floor
New Orleans, LA

PHONE:
(504) 412-1310

SPECIALTIES:
Colon and Rectal Surgery

RESIDENCY:
General Surgery, Long Island Jewish Hospital

FELLOWSHIP:
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio

BOARD CERTIFICATIONS:
General Surgery
Colon and Rectal Surgery

PHILOSOPHY:
“The most important thing is to interact with patients and to listen to them. They’ll tell you what’s wrong. They guide you through.”

The FDIC has a formal definition of the term “community bank,” namely a bank characterized by a narrow geographic reach and assets of up to $1 billion, but Guy T. Williams takes the word “community” to heart. Williams, CEO and Co-founder of Gulf Coast Bank, said his institution works closely with local businesses to get them the capital they need to get started or grow. On the public service side, the bank manages several innovative charity programs for local causes.

“What we focus on is small business lending, said Williams. “Loan rates are pretty much the same wherever you go, but with us, the service and support are better. The entire experience is better.”

Although “better” may be subjective, one fact bears out Williams’ claim: Gulf Coast Bank makes more SBA loans in the state than any other financial institution. In other words, it’s the largest lender of small business loans in Louisiana, and it has been for the last four years.

Funding is only part of the equation. “When someone starts a small business, an awful lot of handholding is necessary,” Williams said. “Entrepreneurs have great ideas and know how to run with them, but they’re not typically familiar with the financials. At Gulf Coast, we look at how we can make their business models make sense. Other banks don’t take the time to do that.”

When entrepreneurs come in with a business plan, the lender will walk them through things they may not have thought of or examined closely enough, everything from income versus expenses on the balance sheet to a marketing strategy to workers comp insurance. Sometimes, the entrepreneur might not even have a business plan, and the banker will offer guidance in creating one.

As for Gulf Coast Bank’s participation in the charitable arena, in March, it awarded $50,000 to ten local charities through a program called Community Rewards. Over 300 groups threw their hats in the ring, and the winners were those organizations that received the most votes from the public during a month-long voting period. The top winner? Looziana Basset Rescue.

“We were shocked that a dog rescue group took the top prize,” Williams said. “I thought a school would win first place. With parents, alumni and students, a school would have a natural voting base. But all the winners did a great job of getting out the vote. They showed that people care about their causes.”

Another charitable endeavor is Auctions in August. It’s akin to those silent auctions common at nonprofit events where guests compete for donated items by writing down bids on a sheet of paper. In Auctions in August, the items are divvyed up across the bank’s branches, and those donating the prizes can choose whichever cause they prefer. Gulf Coast’s branches are spread from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, but bidders can sort through the items they hope to acquire or the charities they wish to support online.

In addition, Gulf Coast enjoys sponsoring the Zephyrs, New Orleans’ own minor league baseball team. For the Pack the Park event, the bank distributes free vouchers to schools and church groups for them to sell for fundraising. During the Fourth of July, it invites 500 veterans and their families to enjoy a game and eat for free.

“The Zephyrs are a wonderful family value,” Williams said. “We want to give them exposure so people can understand how great the games are.”

The roots of Gulf Coast Bank trace back to 1883 with the founding of another bank called American Savings. It collapsed during the savings-and-loan crisis a century later. Williams and his partner, Dieter Hugel, both already experienced bankers, purchased the bank in 1990 and started Gulf Coast.

“Unlike the recent subprime banking crisis, the S&L crisis wasn’t the fault of the banks it affected,” Williams said, explaining that it stemmed from a government decision to deregulate deposit rates. To survive, savings and loan institutions had to diversify into areas unfamiliar to them such as commercial lending, but many didn’t have the expertise to do so profitably and went bankrupt. Gulf Coast brought in that knowledge along with new sources of capital, and the new bank began to thrive.

“We’ve never had a money-losing year, not even during the recent subprime crisis,” Williams said. “Our bank never got into subprime lending. It always made sense to me to lend to people who can make their payments.”

The Maison Dupuy Hotel has found a new executive chef in Jason Schwartz. The native New Yorker started cooking young because his father, a single parent, was a terrible cook. The search for a palatable meal drove him to work hard, quickly growing from a 15-year-old line cook to study at the Florida Culinary Institute. He can boast of employment in locales like Sundy House in Delray, FL to The Four Seasons Hotel in Houston. Although he’s only been in New Orleans for a few years, Schwartz is passionate about the city and is excited to be a part of its resilience and growth.

Yep, they’re doing it again. Craig and Kimmie Giesecke are involved with opening another restaurant, this time called Warehouse Grille. Chef Donald Julien will be at the helm with Jeff Bordelon as the General Manager at this brand new eatery owned by the same folks who own the Rivershack Tavern. The Warehouse Grille is in the building that previously housed McGuire’s, home of the deep-fried stuffed burger, on the corner of Magazine and St. Joseph Street in the Warehouse District. Keep your fingers crossed that Kimmie’s guacamole will still be on the menu.

Café Reconcile, Central City’s nonprofit lunch restaurant and job skills training program, has reopened after months of renovations and is back to “rebuilding hope and changing lives.” The property has grown from 2,400 square feet to 17,000 and the crew is back making its famous bread pudding. They expect twice the number of graduates to benefit from their unique community kitchen that works together to fight poverty, fear and prejudice through self help and compassion. “Feed your soul” with their Chicken & Andouille Gumbo, Smothered Chicken or Fried Catfish Po-Boy.

The hit pop-up Noodle & Pie is being revived inside the old Reginelli’s location on the corner of State and Magazine. Chefs Emanuel Loubier and Brian Armour are opening the new restaurant, focusing on handmade ramen and other dishes that will reflect a wide range of Asian specialties. Pastry chef Kristyne Bouley joins the team, offering her already famous pies, her Honey and Pine Nut Pie just one of her many treats. The chefs hope to open Noodle & Pie sometime in May 2013.

Friday

Lunch at – Located at the smack-end of Oak Street, right before the tracks, Cowbell offers so much more than juicy, grass-fed beef burgers. Chef Brack May’s creativity sparkles with daily specials like a Two Run Farms All-Natural Santa Maria Style BBQ Tri Tip Sandwich with white cheddar on artisanal brioche or an Herb Roasted Portobello & “Bleu de Bocage” Grilled Cheese Sandwich. You can’t escape a Friday lunch in New Orleans without having dessert, and though the special could very well be special, we can’t help fawning over the hand-made apple pie. Couldn’t we all use a little more Cowbell?

Imbibe at – Escape for a sip at Oak Wine Bar and you won’t even have to leave this burgeoning Carrollton neighborhood’s main street. Oak’s cellar houses a dramatic selection of varietals and a wine list grouped by palate with dozens of wines by the glass and nearly a hundred hand-selected bottles. Although their focus is on exceptional wines, Oak also offers creative cocktails and tapas-style bites, a food menu crafted by local chef Aaron Burgau. Sip on their “8118” with Russian Standard Vodka, fresh basil and lemon & lime juice and crunch into Crispy Duck Rillette “Tostones” with twice fried plantains, avocado and a tamarind-orange glaze. You can also catch some great local music. Oak’s Thursday through Saturday music calendar includes musicians like Billy Iuso and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes.

Get funky at – Home to Rebirth Brass Band and Papa Grows Funk, The Maple Leaf is one of the premier venues in New Orleans for local music. Opened in 1974, The Maple Leaf is one of the longest continuously operating music clubs featuring amazing local musicians like Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, The Radiators and James Booker. The hall, with its high, painted tin ceiling, long bar and backyard patio has also often played host to unannounced celebrity sit-ins from performers like Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Robert Plant, and is also home to many community events; the most popular is Mid-Summer Mardi Gras.

Saturday

Brunch at – Enjoy a leisurely, al fresco brunch in the courtyard of Martinique Bistro. Located on the corner of Magazine and Eleonore Streets, this quaint Uptown restaurant features French-inspired cuisine from Chef Eric Labouchere and Sous Chef Nat Carrier, who both value the “farm-to-table” concept and the availability of fresh local produce. Sip a Cerise Latte “eye-opener” with espresso, cherry brandy and frangelico and devour French Toast & Duck Confit with pecan-sugar cane butter and roasted apples.

Recharge at – Across from Whole Foods Market on Magazine Street, there is a tiny coffee shop called Velvet Espresso Bar that brews aromatic, rich coffee you can smell on the street, sourced from roasters like Intelligentsia, Stumptown and George Howell. Velvet of course makes creamy cappuccinos, lattes and espresso, but we encourage you to try a cup of syphon-brewed java made in a Japanese coffee pot reminiscent of a chemistry set. Velvet also offers wonderful baked goods like scones, tea cakes, pies and its ever-popular, hand-made “Pop Tarts.”

Imbibe at – Chef John Harris of Lilette recently opened Bouligny Tavern right next door, a wine bar with premium cocktails and tapas-style, fine-dining quality dishes. Guests can lounge on diamond tufted banquettes and Ol Waschner armchairs in a space with inset walnut paneling and coffered ceilings while tasting from all menus. Enjoy a “Teaticket Fizz” with Oolong Tea-infused Vodka, cranberry liqueur and lemon juice while snacking on dishes of Tempura Green Beans or Gouda Beignets.

Sunday

Brunch at – One of the Riverbend’s most popular restaurants, Dante’s Kitchen has been awing locals and visitors since its inception over 12 years ago. Chef Emmanuel Loubier takes pride in sourcing fresh, local ingredients, as well as crafting his own, such as hot sauce, pickles, jams and infused liquors. Indulge in Bacon Praline Cinnamon Sticky Buns or Dante’s own version of the classic Eggs Benedict with roasted rosemary-rubbed pork loin and perfectly poached eggs served atop buttermilk biscuits and drizzled with honey and lots of creamy hollandaise.

Recharge at – Although the bright, welcoming eatery also serves breakfast (and lunch), Satsuma Cafe is the perfect place for a great “cuppa joe.” Gaze out onto the bustling, one-way, neighborhood street while sipping on a sweet, iced latte brewed using the delicious GTO Espresso blend created by Coffee Roasters of New Orleans. Satsuma also offers special, healthful juices like the “ABC” with apple, carrot, beet and lemon or a “Sweet Tart” featuring apple, lemon, cucumber, orange and fennel.

Get comfy at – Wind down the weekend at Ciro’s Cote Sud on Maple Street, the only French-style bistro in town that features…you’ll never guess…specialty pizza. Yes, you can have your Moules Gratinees or Escargot and eat your pizza, too! Try the “L’Ollivier” with mozzarella cheese, house-made persillade sauce, Greek olives, pesto, artichoke hearts and goat cheese. Finish off a fabulous Sunday with their rich crème brûlée.

The multi-Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter teams up with Longue Vue House and Gardens for the sure-to-be spectacular Sentimental Journeys 2013: Venetian Carnevale Gala on Friday, April 19

New Orleanian Irvin Mayfield is best known for his outstanding command of the trumpet and the breathtaking music he creates in the name of jazz. Mayfield has been fortunate to play countless performances on notable stages throughout the world, and since the opening of Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, a luxurious venue inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter, New Orleans has been able to enjoy his idyllic, angel-food-for-the-ears sound live in concert more often, especially since he and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra are usually in residence at the Playhouse on Wednesday nights. Besides his heartfelt commitment to the beauty of music, Mayfield dedicates himself to many worthwhile endeavors; the jazz great serves on numerous boards such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the University of New Orleans College of Education and Human Development, the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, the Youth Rescue Initiative and Tulane University’s School of Architecture, to name a few.

Mayfield is also devoted to preserving the tranquil exquisiteness of Longue Vue House and Gardens, a truly iconic and integral part of New Orleans. He is a committee member for the unparalleled Sentimental Journeys 2013: Venetian Carnevale. The dazzling gala will be held at 7 pm on Friday, April 19 at the magnificent Uptown home of Mr. and Mrs. Andre Robert to raise funds for Longue Vue’s artistic, educational and civic programs. The classy event will boast champagne by Champagne Taittinger, a Ferrari display, remarkable fire-eaters, a cigar bar, a sumptuous menu created by Executive Chef Michael Sichel of Galatoire’s that will be paired with fine wines, fabulous local musical entertainment and live and silent auctions featuring first-rate travel opportunities, art, antiques and jewelry, helmed by celebrity auctioneer Bryan Batt.

The limited-ticket benefit, presented by IBERIABANK and chaired by Caroline Robert and Daphne Berger and honorary chairs Peggy Laborde and Susan Johnson, promises to remain one of the most marvelous annual galas held in New Orleans. “New Orleans Living” spoke with Mayfield, and can clearly see why he’s one of the greatest cultural ambassadors ever for the people, places and things wholly beloved in this city!

Irvin, how great is it to play with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra at your namesake club, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta Hotel almost every Wednesday night? We’ve had some great times there!
Good! I love hearing that, Christine. It’s always great when you play for your home audience. I started touring, and when you start not having to play at home, you stop. I felt like I lost a little something not playing as often here for people, just coming back and playing Jazz Fest once or twice a year. I love when folks from my street say, “I’m bringing my family down to see you play.” From my perspective, the people at home should benefit from you the most, so I like to play more at home. Playing Carnegie Hall is great, but I like having that weekly relationship at home. And for me, it’s not a show; I’m sharing part of myself with the folks I live with.

Sentimental Journeys 2013, Longue Vue House and Gardens’ famed gala, will take place on Friday, April 19. You are on the committee for this astounding event. Why is it important for you to be involved?
I think the mission that the Sterns, who founded Longue Vue, came up with to provide young people with beauty to enrich their lives is really important to me. When I think about all the young folks you see murdering one another, and you think about the soaring crime rate in the city, the reason that happens is because a lot of these young people haven’t had beautiful experiences in their lives. I think that any balanced person has had a long range of beautiful experiences. Beauty can be assessed in a lot of different ways, from food to music, and also just through the true beauty of nature and the experience of going to Longue Vue.

Sentimental Journeys is an opportunity for folks in the community to enjoy a beautiful, tremendous experience with great music, great food and great opportunities. The things that help us take advantage of the finite amount of time we have here are memorable experiences like Sentimental Journeys.

The theme for Sentimental Journeys 2013 is “Venetian Carnevale,” which will feature wonderful auctions with jewelry, antiques and amazing travel opportunities, not to mention spectacular food, libations and entertainment—sounds like an evening not to be missed!
I think Caroline Robert is so generous to open up her home, which is amazing and on such a beautiful and historic street, for Sentimental Journeys. I believe it to be the party of the year. Also, I think the type of crowd that’s coming is really great. I love going to events where you can have a large range of people. People who are eccentric, people who are prestigious, people who are local fixtures will be there–it’s a great mixture of what this town is about.

And this fabulous night provides critical funding for Longue Vue and its educational programs and for all the cultural resources that it offers New Orleans. It’s fantastic that you are aligned with this event.
I think the approach with Sentimental Journeys is that Caroline is making it very easy for people to be thrilled to support Longue Vue. The fact that 100% of the funds raised are going to Longue Vue speaks to her generosity and also to the culture of New Orleans, where people are really considerate, we love one another and at the same time we really know how to celebrate. I’m thrilled to be supporting this event; I’ve always been a big fan of Longue Vue Gardens. I would put it on my top ten list, because allowing folks to experience beauty is what it’s all about.

You grew up in New Orleans visiting Longue Vue House and Gardens …
Absolutely. I think it’s something we take for granted—be it Longue Vue, be it City Park, be it Audubon Park, be it the river—these types of experiences are what bring diversity, because anybody can experience them. I think we take for granted how important that really is in developing the model citizen. It’s very important if we want folks to feel like they have a level of ownership of our city.

You serve on the boards of many great organizations. How did public service become so near and dear to you?
I think that by nature, the artists in this town are doing a public service. If you’re a jazz musician, you play jazz funerals and a lot of times you’re not paid. You just show up because the person who died deserves to be recognized.

I’ve been fortunate to have been invited to serve on boards, but there are so many different ways to help. I’m always amazed about how many different folks come together to help one another. Look at Sentimental Journeys—everyone’s doing their part, from the folks who are serving the drinks to the musicians playing.

I had an interesting experience when I was about 22 years old: I became the first musician to serve on the Chamber of Commerce. Dan Packer was chairman of the board at that time and he put me on the Chamber. I learned about what volunteering and public service can really do, and I saw how different organizations come together to address issues and challenges in the community.

It’s amazing that you were nominated to the National Council on the Arts by President George W. Bush and then appointed to the post in 2010 by President Obama. Congratulations on such a wonderful honor!
Well thank you! Yes, it’s a great honor. I’m the first jazz musician to serve on the endowment board. I wish we had more money to give across the country for the arts. I think we’ve done a great job in funding stuff in New Orleans. That’s made me proud. I’m also proud of the funding we’ve done for places that don’t have a lot. We invest in rural locations to make sure they have access to the arts. That’s important. The endowment’s mission is to make sure every American has the opportunity to experience great art. A great country deserves great art.

That’s amazing. As a professor at the University of New Orleans, where you also serve as Director of the New Orleans Jazz Institute, what do you want your students to take with them after they’ve had you as an instructor?
Our goal at the University of New Orleans is to offer a really creative environment so that the leadership of ideas can thrive. We want students to take their creative ideas and put them to use. One of the steps in doing so is simply knowing there are options and that there is a path. Also, we tell students to be interested in being interesting. I think that’s the most important thing, no matter what they’re doing, be it architecture, urban planning, film or jazz. They also need to be lovers of great ideas because, as you know, great ideas take time. That’s the new environment that we’re creating at the University of New Orleans. Every semester when I get a class, I always think, “Man, this is the best class I’ve had yet!” (Laughs) I think that’s just the power of young folks and their ideas and creativity.

You have 15 albums to your credit, so let me ask: when are you not making an album?
(Laughs). Well, I am pretty backed up on recordings, and some of those recordings I have to finish this year. I’ve been doing a lot of performances and music writing, but I’m also looking forward to kicking up the recording.

We’ll definitely be looking forward to that! Irvin, you travel extensively around the world to play for others, but what makes it easy for you to come back home every time to New Orleans?
I love my town. I belong to this place. Even when my dad was missing after Katrina and we were starting to recognize the severity of the situation, I knew that I was born in New Orleans and I‘m gonna die in New Orleans. It’s a place that I just love, and the reason is because I want to. This is my town, and my belief is to invest back in the place that gave me so much. Anywhere else, I’d just be a guy playing trumpet. Here, I get to live a beautiful, artistic, democratic experience. I’m a blessed and lucky person.

For tickets and more information about Sentimental Journeys 2013: Venetian Carnevale, visit www.longuevue.com or contact Jen Gick at (504) 293-4723 or jgick@longuevue.com. For more information about Irvin Mayfield, visit www.irvinmayfield.com

In 1897, “Black Storyville” and “White Storyville” were created by city ordinance. The rules in both areas were looser than in the rest of the city, with gambling and prostitution allowed. As elsewhere, the women of Black Storyville were victims of racism and sexism. The jobs they could acquire were mainly limited to servants and laundresses. Many became prostitutes.

The only presence blacks held in Mardi Gras was as servants; in response, they formed their own social clubs. Beatrice Hill and Leola Tate of Black Storyville created the Million Dollar Baby Dolls in 1912. Through song and dance, the women showed their strength while mocking the men who oppressed them, gaining and giving confidence to the women of their neighborhoods and having fun. The influence of the original maskers was profound, as shown by moving quotes from more recent Baby Dolls.

Vaz examines the Baby Dolls’ impact on gender, racial roles, dance and jazz through lenses of music, dance and society’s sexualization of the baby doll image throughout this era, among other things. Unfortunately, she acknowledges, there is a dearth of firsthand accounts and original research about the early years. As a result, some comments are speculative and some chapters less persuasive than others.

Vaz is a fine writer, and her book is straightforward and engaging. It works well as a series of academic essays that reveal a lesser-known, quirky and important part of our city’s cultural history and influence.

BH: How do you select your projects? What appeals to you about performing on stage?

MM: I try to work on good projects with nice people who are good at their jobs. It doesn’t always work out that way, but for the most part I’ve been pretty darn lucky.

I love stage because it’s such an honor to have that give and take with an audience. Right now I’m loving the concerts with Seth Rudetsky. We perform great, challenging and sometimes funny material, but between songs we sit down and tell stories and laugh and say naughty things. It’s a great format because the audience gets to hear good music, but also gets to be part of a totally unrehearsed and often hilarious kind of “inside” conversation.

I’m also loving performing in my band, Nancy and Beth. It’s so alive and celebratory. I love the songs, the choreography and the rapport I have with my band mate, Stephanie Hunt.

BH: You’ve known and collaborated with Seth Rudetsky for a long time. What is it like working with him on shows like this?

MM: Seth is one of the funniest, smartest, quickest guys around, and in addition to being a fantastic musician, he’s also a great interviewer. We have history, so things can fork off into unexpected directions, which is something that audiences seem not to hate.

BH: How do you feel being part of the inaugural (and hopefully not the last) season of Broadway at NOCCA?

MM: I love New Orleans. My husband [Nick Offerman of “Parks and Recreation”] and I were there last year and had an incredible visit. I’m looking forward to getting back and especially to performing for what I imagine will be terrific audiences who are ready to get a good earful. I hope Broadway at NOCCA is a huge success—why wouldn’t it be?!

• How much sugar can I have in a day?
• Are artificial sweeteners safe?
• Are sugar substitutes better than sugar?
• What about “natural” sweeteners?

The focus has long been on how bad sugar is for you, particularly after the “Sugar Busters” diet made national headlines about a decade ago. Sugar is always one of the first things I encourage clients to limit, not only for weight management but for better overall health. Sugar is pro-inflammatory (exacerbating many health issues), it wreaks havoc on blood glucose levels and it has zero nutritional value. Alas, what do we do about our sweet tooth?

Chemically Processed Sweeteners
One of the most effective ways to slash sugar intake is to reduce sweetened food and drinks. There is no magic number, but read labels and look for as little added sugar as possible. Fructose and glucose are natural sugars derived from fruit and starches respectively; however, when they are added to products as a sweetener, they are chemically processed and therefore have the same ill effects as regular sugar. High fructose corn syrup and corn syrup fall under this category.

Sugar Where You Least Expect It
It’s easy to limit obvious sugar sources like candies, cakes, cookies, etc. However, we don’t always realize how much sugar we are getting in, say, our morning vanilla latte. For most, drinking a vanilla latte seems a lot more innocuous than eating cookies, but in fact, a Grande Vanilla Latte from Starbucks packs a whopping 34 grams of sugar. That’s more sugar than can be found in 12 Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies!

Beware of seemingly healthy foods like fruit-flavored yogurt, instant flavored oatmeal and sugary cereals (even supposedly “healthy” cereals can be high in sugar; stay below five to seven grams of sugar per cup). Even though some of these products may be low in calories, they’re not worth it. The surge in blood glucose levels drops shortly after consuming these sugary foods, leaving you hungry soon after.

Sweeten Yourself
What to do if you have a sweet tooth but don’t like the taste of artificial sweeteners? Use real sugar and sweeten your food and drinks yourself. A teaspoon of sugar or a pack of sugar both have only about 16 calories and four grams of sugar, not enough to make or break a weight loss plan. Adding two packs of sugar to your morning coffee is equal to eight grams of sugar, nowhere near the 34 grams you would ingest with a vanilla latte. Most coffee shops even have vanilla powder you can sprinkle on top of your coffee. Cinnamon is also a widely available topping and is great for blood sugar control.

Alternative Sweeteners
Sweeten your unsweetened Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of honey and maybe a little vanilla or almond extract. Try cinnamon on plain oatmeal with a touch of brown sugar. Honey, agave and raw sugar are natural forms of sugar, but keep in mind that they still have calories and can spike blood sugar just like sugar does, so use sparingly. If you crave the sweet taste but still don’t want the extra calories, I like natural sweeteners like Lo Han or Stevia.

Artificial Sweeteners: The Jury is Out
There is a cloud of controversy surrounding this subject and research is mixed. Many studies support the safety of artificial sweeteners, but there are no long-term studies available. Artificial sweeteners are chemically derived and there are studies that claim they can stimulate appetite.

The Bottom Line
To satisfy your sweet tooth without ingesting massive calories, use a little honey, agave, sugar, Lo Han or Stevia. Once you significantly reduce sugar intake, you will find that your cravings will diminish.

It is a curious kismet in which the New Orleans Hornets find themselves today. Having arrived as the franchise with the most to gain in New Orleans after flying out of Charlotte in 2002 with ten straight winning or par seasons, by the end of this spring, they will likely have since slipped to three last place division finishes in the past four years. And now Tom Benson wants to turn them into pelicans.

The Hornets arrived with stalwarts Jamal Mashburn, David Wesley and Baron Davis, and then transitioned to Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler. The franchise had been built on cornerstones, but now appears to be an edifice on shaky foundation. Blessed with a great 2012 draft, the team is very young and very talented, but is still reeling from front office decisions that traded away its triumvirate as well as its most promising future replacements for Paul in Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison, gaining little in return. Today, Paul, West and Chandler prominently click for three division leaders while the team they left stares directly at another lottery pick.

As for the present-day keys to the team’s future, Austin Rivers is out for the remainder of the season with a broken hand, Jason Smith is out for the season with a torn shoulder labrum and Anthony Davis has been in and out with a bone bruise in his shoulder and even when apparently healthy, has found his minutes curiously limited by Coach Monty Williams. As of early March, Eric Gordon had missed an astounding 140 games in four seasons with an ailing knee. In early March, an astonishing 20-0 Lakers run to close out a stormy comeback win in the New Orleans Arena left fans deflated and the coach’s future in doubt, killing whatever momentum the youthful squad had been building.

Point guard Greivis Vasquez appears to be one element that has been consistently improving and his 9.4 assists per game are almost equivalent to Chris Paul’s 9.5, making him a serious threat to lead the league by the end of the year. Vasquez has not missed a game and has 23 double-doubles, which is all the more remarkable as he plays for a team ranked just 21st (out of 30) in points scored. His assists to turnovers ratio is at 3.00, leaving him in rarefied company like Tony Parker and Rajon Rondo. Vasquez stands as the most likely winner of the league’s “Most Improved Player” award. At some point, the city and even Hornets fans must become aware that they have a budding star on their hands.

At forward, last year’s “Most Improved Player,” Ryan Anderson, who has also not missed a game, has the second-most three-point field goals and the most three-point attempts in the league. He has been rock solid as a sixth man, arguably as good as any in the league. Though he has starter’s minutes, he will not be able to overtake Davis. Entrenched for the future at power forward, Davis brings athleticism and a defensive presence. His scoring prowess is not what some would like from a first overall draft pick (he is shooting just 32 percent from the outside), but he is bringing home 15 points per game with a .508 overall shooting percentage, while recording the tenth most blocks per game in the league. It must be remembered that this is a terrific rookie season for someone who is just twenty years old. His rebounding numbers are not yet among the best in the league, but it is clear those will arrive with development and continued growth.

At shooting guard, Austin Rivers shows traditional skills at ball handling and fundamentals that are rare in today’s NBA. His reliance on layups and backboard shots is refreshing and fun. After struggling through the first half of the season, just before his injury, he was on a streak of hitting close to fifty percent of his shots. Rivers, like Davis, is just twenty years old.

The Hornets struggle most mightily at the boards though, as Robin Lopez has the second lowest defensive rebounding rate per game (2.9) among centers playing at least twenty minutes per game. Small forward Al-Farouq Aminu is better defensively but struggles offensively, scoring the third fewest points per game of players at his position playing at least twenty minutes per game.

So who are to be the Hornets’—or Pelicans’—future cornerstones? Anthony Davis is definitely one, but who else? Are the Hornets committed to Vasquez long term? Does anyone really believe that Gordon will one day be a happy leader and a consistent high scorer? Can Rivers build his game and become an all-around forty-eight-minute court captain? Who will the future big men be and will they arrive via draft or free agency? No matter how hard Tom Benson may wish his Hornets to be Pelicans, they will first have to learn to fly on their own.

I am overwhelmed by the copious amount of talented artists and designers in this city. Creative, entrepreneurial types and those who want to grow a business continue to flock here to cultivate their brands and professional ventures. New Orleans is on the radar and we love being in the spotlight, even more so when the media and press presents us in a flattering light.

Capitalizing on Quirkiness
There are so many intriguing and interesting individuals that inhabit this enticingly sultry city that one could pen an infinite novel on the personalities alone. I am drawn like a moth to a flame to those who apply their unique brand of unexpected to fashion and design.

Hazel & Florange
Less than 24 hours before her first runway presentation, I had the opportunity to go tête-a-tête with Andi Eaton. Andi is one of the creative directors of NOLA Fashion Week, a blogger for Oui We, Girl! and is approaching her tenth year with the Aveda Institute. In what I consider a very naturally and obvious progression, Andi can now add fashion designer to her résumé. This industrious fashionphile finds her fix in all things peerless and chic. Her exposure in production, editorial styling and manufacturing has come full circle with her first clothing line: Hazel and Florange.

The vision of Hazel and Florange is the story of two sisters who lived in the outskirts of New Orleans. These whimsical and eccentric ladies embraced their evenings with champagne in tea cups and games of scrabble in their posh house coats. The tale told is that the two sisters never married and, although many thought they lived a meager lifestyle, upon their death, family members found boxes of cash in the walls of their home.

Enthused by photographs of these frugal yet fabulous Southern girls, Andi began to develop her collection. Hazel and Florange—the capricious sisters—serve as the muse and namesake of her first fashion line. The 14-piece compilation mixes skirts, dresses and what Andi touts as “day gowns.”

“The pieces are a modern twist on the housedresses worn by Hazel and Florange,” stated Andi. “The texture and fabrics of the collection are simultaneously quirky and glamorous.”

Furthermore, Andi’s line blends effortlessly with our city’s culture and climate. The fabrics are cotton or silk blends and the vibrant colors and patterns conjure up our Caribbean and African influences. The full length skirts and gowns, although appropriate for evening attire, can be styled for everyday wear. Andi affirmed: “I imagine Hazel and Florange, if they were still alive, would wear these pieces to walk the streets of New Orleans simply to pick up groceries.” Hazel and Florange is Andi’s interpretation of New Orleans’ idiosyncratic yet stylish women.

Visit www.HazelandFlorange.com for details. Follow Andi Eaton’s blog, ouiwegirl.com, to stay abreast of her fashion adventures.

Dress for the Fest
Whatever festival you attend this spring, be it Strawberry, Tomato, French Quarter or Jazz and Heritage, B. Boutique on Magazine Street will have you camera ready. From dramatic vegan leather shifts to Boho breezy maxi dresses, owner Blain Clayton will have you ready to two-step at Fais Do Do and shake your tail feather in Congo Square.

Do not be intimidated by Ms. Clayton’s cover-girl-worthy beauty; as striking as she is, Blain is no fashion diva. She has a frugal pocketbook and an editor’s eye when it comes to purchasing the wares for her lovely store. Her inventory includes stunning garments at equally stunning price points. Dresses, for example, range from $60 to $150.

Unlike other boutiques, B. Boutique caters to women of all shapes. Blain noticed that there was a lack of fashion-forward attire to address the needs of her curvier customers. “I only enjoy shopping with my sister. Being a plus-sized woman, she often finds herself unable to frequent the same boutiques as me,” said Blain. “There was no way I was going to open a boutique where my sister could not shop!” B. Boutique fills that void with contemporary fashions in sizes two through ten.

Smart consumer and business owner that she is, Blain hopes to soon expand her inventory to include shoes. Now that spring is in the air and you have a spring in your step, dance your way into something beautiful at B. Boutique.

B. Boutique
3950 Magazine Street
New Orleans, 70115
bboutiquenola.com
Bboutique@gmail.com
(504) 269-6014

Gallery owner and painter Bekye Fargason joins photographer Debbie Willson-Richardson and artist Monique Munoz to present “Atchafalaya Reflections,” an exhibition exploring the beauty and mystique of the Atchafalaya Basin.

Several years ago, Bekye Fargason made the leap from interior decorative painting to fine art, and developed her own unique style using well-honed design techniques. She moved to New Orleans from New York over 20 years ago, and over the past seven years has displayed and sold her art at local galleries with so much success that she was able to open her own gallery over a year ago on the corner of Magazine and Delachaise Streets.

Although Fargason still offers decorative painting for interiors, her paintings are what are true to her soul. Using heavy brush strokes, pallet knives and additional mediums like wax and metallic leaf, Fargason creates what she describes as moody, sculpture-like pieces that change with the light, emphasizing varying subjects. Her inspiration depends upon her environment.

On Wednesday, March 20, Fargason will host a show entitled “Atchafalaya Reflections” at her gallery on Magazine Street. Along with Fargason’s own paintings of the Atchafalaya Basin, the exhibition will include work by photographer Debbie Willson-Richardson and stylist Monique Munoz.
Bekye Fargason Gallery/Studio
3436 Magazine Street
(504) 388-1342
www.BekyeFargason.com

Friday

Lunch at – Indulge in delectable creativity that can only be found at one of the Warehouse District’s hottest new restaurants, Root. Chef Phillip Lopez, whose talent has been recognized locally and nationally, will pleasure your palate with his house-cured charcuterie and sausages, plus dishes like a Fried Bologna “Croque Madame,” Smoked Veal Pastrami Sandwich and Bergamot Bread Pudding with toasted pecan nut butter, white gin caramel, pine nut coco nib croquant and satsuma balsam fir sorbet.

Imbibe at – Neal Bodenheimer, Kirk Estopinal and Matthew Kohnke from Cure, the ever-popular Uptown bar on Freret Street, have come together again to offer the city Bellocq. Located in the Hotel Modern on Lee Circle, this sexy, chic cocktail lounge is inspired by the revolutionary photography of E.J. Bellocq. The drink menu features cobbler and punch recipes that date back to the mid 1800s. Sip on a Lillet Blanc with strawberry and citrus or a Mary Rocket Punch with clarified milk, cognac, fresh lemon juice and Peychaud Bitters.

Get funky at – Put on your dancin’ shoes and get ready for the show at Republic New Orleans. This popular venue offers performances by locally and nationally recognized musicians and DJs like Juvenile, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk,  Katey Red, Gotty Boi Chris, Walt Wiggidy and more. Owner Matt Alleman‘s aim is to offer a stylish and sophisticated environment with an “atmosphere that celebrates New Orleans’ historic elements through an innovative and modern interpretation.”

Saturday 

Brunch at – Their motto is “real food, done real good,” and it’s easy to see why. Elizabeth’s Restaurant on Gallier Street in the Bywater is a comfy neighborhood restaurant that feels like Maw Maw’s kitchen with white-linen tablecloth food. Although everyone raves about their Praline Bacon, be sure to try Chef Byron Peck‘s Duck Waffle with sweet potato and duck hash atop a cornbread waffle or their Old Fashioned Calas, a New Orleans traditional dessert made from rice.

Imbibe at – You might already recognize Bacchanal from festive courtyard scenes in the HBO’s hit show Treme, but it’s just not the same as being there in person. In essence, Bacchanal is a wine shop and bar dedicated to offering “Old World” wines from lesser known vintners whose wines reflect their terroir. This Bywater watering hole often features free wine tastings, seminars, live music and cuisine from Chef Joaquin Rodas seven nights a week.

Snack at – New Orleans transplants Nick Vivion and Kevin Farrell from Seattle recently opened an internationally inspired restaurant in the Bywater called Booty’s. Their menu features tapas-style street food from all over the world, from tacos and empanadas to Thai Hand Rolls, Gunmandu (Korean dumplings) and Salvadoran Pupusas. Booty’s also offers creative cocktails like the “Boom Boom” with Power’s Irish Whiskey, Dewar’s Scotch and house-made orgeat.

Sunday 

Brunch at – Hop on the St. Charles streetcar and head Uptown for an elegant brunch at Patois. Chef Aaron Burgau’s cozy neighborhood restaurant on the corner of Laurel and Webster Streets is a casual yet classy spot only a hop and a skip away from Audubon Park. Treat yourself to a meal to remember with Ponchatoula Strawberries topped with sabayon, Gulf Shrimp & Anson Mills Grits, Fried Mississippi Rabbit or Pulled Pork and Biscuits.

Imbibe at – Although La Petite Grocery on the corner of Magazine and General Pershing is another fabulous restaurant for Sunday brunch, they also have a spectacular bar. Savor charismatic cocktails like “The Bee’s Knees” made with Hayman’s Old Tom Gin and Lavender Blossom Clover Honey or an “Elderflower Mojito” concocted with St. Germain, fresh mint, lime and soda.

Snack at – Looking for something to satisfy that late-night sweet tooth? Head over to Sucré on Magazine Street. Executive Pastry Chef Tariq Hanna offers dreamy confections and pastries like his famous macaroons, rich chocolates, Red Velvet Cake and Southern Pecan Cake. Might we suggest that you mix it up with one of their heady and creamy “Big Kid Shakes,” like “A Bunch of Nuts” with Brown Butter Pecan Gelato, Frangelico and Praline Liquor.

Dear Kathy,
Your friend is correct. When a patient complains of weight gain, feeling sluggish and changes in hair texture, my first step is to check her thyroid, because symptoms like these can be an indication that something might be going on with the thyroid, such as hypothyroidism. I order a TSH with a Reflex Free T4, a test used to identify hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. It is also important to take a multi-vitamin because many of us just don’t eat as healthy as we could.

Dr. Stephen Champlin
OB/GYN
(504) 454-0606
East Jefferson General Hospital

Dear Nancy,
You may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). The most common symptoms are burning with urination, increased frequency and/or urgency of urination, pain over the bladder area, blood in the urine and fatigue.

It is important to note that the urinary tract has an upper component that involves the kidneys and a lower component that involves the bladder. When an infection is in the upper tract, a patient will experience serious symptoms such as fever, chills, flank pain and perhaps even nausea/vomiting. The symptoms of a lower tract infection are more common and less severe.

Your doctor should be able to give you a diagnosis by collecting a urine sample that can be quickly assessed in the office. Usually this urine will also be sent out to the lab for further assessment to ensure that you are receiving the appropriate treatment.

There are simple things you can do to prevent UTIs, such as avoid contraceptives with spermicides, urinate after sexual intercourse and increase your fluid intake. The efficacy of drinking cranberry juice is inconclusive, but it is essentially harmless and can be tried. If these measures are not sufficient, it is imperative that you make an appointment to see your primary healthcare provider immediately. A simple course of antibiotics can eliminate the causative bacteria and prevent the more serious complications of an untreated UTI.

Dr. Priya Velu
Primary Care
Ochsner Baptist Medical Center
(504) 897-4250

Fashion Week NOLA:
March 2-9
Fashion Week NOLA, entering its fifth season, is organized by the NOLA Fashion Council (NOLAFC), one of the contributing forces behind the growth of the city’s fashion industry. Twice a year, NOLAFC provides Southern-based fashion professionals–designers, models, hairdressers and makeup artists–a platform to showcase their talents, gain exposure, increase sales and develop professional contacts. The organization connects fashion industry professionals with the resources they need to grow their businesses and provides continuing education, teaching new skills to the fashion-focused community. In the past year, NOLAFC has
hosted over 28 educational workshops. For more information about NOLAFC shows and seminars, visit www.nola-fashionweek.com

New Orleans Fashion Week:
March 20-24
This year marks thethird annual NewOrleans Fashion Week,a collaboration of eventsinvolving local boutiques
and designers. NewOrleans Fashion Week isa force that unites fashionprofessionals with the public through a
series of runway shows, pop-up boutiques and networking opportunities. The founders of New Orleans Fashion Week believe that fashion is becoming an important component of New Orleans culture and must be celebrated in conjunction with the city’s legendary cuisine, music, art and film. The week of fashion-related events bolsters the city’s economic growth by fusing fashion with the city’s creative essence. Through a Top Design Competition, Fashion Industry Career Day and support of local nonprofits, New Orleans Fashion Week fosters
awareness, creates opportunities and gives back to the Gulf Coast in style. To learn more about New Orleans Fashion Week, visit www.fashionweeknola.com

SÖPÖ: So Worth a Stop
One must dress runway-ready if attending any of the events from the two weeks of fashion madness descending on our city. When channeling your inner Anna Wintour, it’s important to look beyond current trends, and the newly minted Mid-City boutique, SÖPÖ, can supply everything needed to maintain a fashion-forward style. This hidden gem is 1,500 square feet of women’s clothing and home goods not found anywhere else in the South. “SÖPÖ” is a Finnish word that translates to “cute,” but owners Robin Borne and Britta Barlogie have put their own spin on the word with the tag line: “Southern Posh.” Downstairs you will find gifts for men, women, babies and the home. Journey upstairs into what Borne describes as a “fun women’s clubhouse;” there you’ll find printed silk dresses by H. Fredriksson, flattering frocks by Ivana Helsinki and boho looks by Nieves Lavi. SÖPÖ is open until 7 pm on weekdays in order to accommodate those who must wait until after work to get in their retail fix.

Blo Me Away
Movie star quality hair is a requirement for those attending the cornucopia of fantastic parties and shows in March. I have uncovered the most astounding beauty find to date and am so elated by this find that I am apprehensive to share the secret. It is only a matter of time before my spiffy-in-a-jiffy gig will be swarmed with those in need of their magic. Smack in the middle of Harrison Avenue in Lakeview is Blo Bar I’Land Spa. I walked in looking like a hot mess and 25 minutes later, my hair was “Cover Girl” worthy and my manicured nails would have made Elle Woods envious. It is the Domino’s Pizza “30 minutes or less” equivalent for beauty. Also available at this one-stop-beauty-shop are organic spray tans, pedicures, waxing and eyelash extensions. It’s a mini-makeover miracle! Blo Bar and I’Land Spa is perfect for after work and before happy hour or if you want to look

There’s increasingly more bustle on Freret Street, including the recent opening of the upscale sandwich shop Wayfare. Ray Arnona, his daughter Toni and son Vincent, are managing the new restaurant, much like their other family business on the Westbank, Vinnie’s Sports Bar & Grill. Wayfare offers hand-crafted artisan meats and cheeses built into mouth-watering sandwiches like a Salumeria, featuring salami, coppa, soppressata, pickled banana peppers and provolone.

The newly opened PubliQ House is yet another Freret Street hotspot, this one a venue at which to enjoy local music like the Brass-A-Holics, New Orleans Nightingales, Colin Lake and Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes. Although owner Rhett Briggs‘ new establishment does not come with a kitchen, the PubliQ House’s parking lot is giving it up for local food trucks like Frencheeze, Rue Chow, the Fat Falafel and La Cocinita.

The construction has finally stopped and the doors have opened upon the newest addition to the roaring burger scene in New Orleans, Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar. Located on the corner of Jackson and Magazine Streets, owners Craig Walker Jr. and Blaine Prestenbach opened the city’s latest burger joint last month on Valentine’s Day. Their restaurant features a build-your-own-burger bar beginning with patties ranging from bison and venison to shrimp and elk. The bottom floor will offer counter service while the upstairs area will go over the top with sit-down service and a wrap-around balcony.

Only a few blocks from the Superdome, owners Dr. Nicolas Bazan and Tim Clark have opened the Little Gem Saloon. In both décor and entertainment, Little Gem Saloon pays homage to the days when the 400 block of Rampart was a Mecca for jazz and ragtime music. The 20th century, Spanish-revival building features nightly performances by local and out-of-state musicians plus tasty cocktails and cuisine. Little Gem Saloon’s Chef Robert Bruce is offering classic Creole cuisine with dishes like Daube Glace and Brabant Potatoes, plus several favorites from his family’s former restaurant, Maylie’s, that closed in 1983.

Finally, everyone’s excited about the Link Restaurant Group‘s plans for another restaurant dubbed Peche Seafood Grill that will hopefully be opening this spring. The eatery is the collaboration of three of the city’s favorite chefs, Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski and Ryan Prewitt. The trio’s new concept was inspired by a recent trip to Spain and Uruguay. Peche will be located in a restored, 19^th century building on the corner of Julia and Magazine Streets in the Warehouse District. The menu will focus on fresh, local seafood cooked over an open fire, a feat that diners will be able to witness first hand.

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) recommends three simple tests to check for kidney disease:

Blood pressure. High blood pressure is the second most common cause of kidney disease. High blood pressure may also happen as a result of kidney disease. A blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is called high blood pressure. If you have diabetes or kidney disease a target less than 130/80 is recommended. Keeping blood pressure under control is important to lower risk of kidney disease, heart and blood vessel disease, and stroke.

Urinalysis. A urinalysis is a test that checks a sample of your urine for the amount of protein, blood (red blood cells and white blood cells) and other things. Protein and red and white blood the urine, so having too much of any of these may mean kidney disease. Having protein in the urine is one of the earliest signs of kidney disease especially in people with diabetes. Several other tests can be done to check for protein in urine. One of the tests is called the protein to creatinine ratio. It is the most accurate way to measure protein in the urine. A value of 200 mg/gm or less per day is normal. A
value higher than 200 mg/gm is too high. Another test, called the albumin to creatinine ratio, is good for people at increased risk for kidney disease — people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or family history of diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease. A value of less than 30 mg/gm per day is normal for the albumin to creatinine ratio; a value of 30 mg/gm per day or higher is high and may be a sign of early kidney disease. With either of these
tests, you don’t need to collect a 24-hour urine sample, which may be hard to collect.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR). GFR is estimated from results of a serum (or blood) creatinine test. The GFR tells how well your kidneys are working to remove wastes from your blood. It is the best way to check kidney function. A serum (or blood) creatinine test alone should not
be used to check kidney function. GFR is calculated using the serum creatinine and other factors such as age and gender. In the early stages of kidney disease GFR may be normal. A value of 60 or higher is normal (GFR decreases with age). A GFR number of less than 60 is low and may mean that you have kidney disease. Check with your doctor about having the GFR test. If you are at increased risk for kidney disease (have diabetes, high blood pressure, or
family history of diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease), you should find out if you have kidney disease. Ask your doctor about these three simple tests. They should be done at least once a year so that if you have early kidney disease, it can be treated right away. Early kidney disease can and should be treated to keep it from getting worse!

You can find plenty of décorcinspiration on sites such as Houzzcor Pinterest. And with the rightcmaterials and a little creativity,cyou can add a little luxury to yourchome, too. Here are some ideas tocget you started:

Paint You can add a fresh look to a room with a fresh coat of paint. You can also add richness and depth with a specialty paint treatment. Textured paint allows you to give your walls the look of soft suede, leather, linen or even vintage plaster. Metallic paints can be used with stencils to create elegant patterns, or on textured wallpaper to create the look of antique tin ceiling tiles.

Textiles Fabrics are a great way to add color and texture to a room. Browsing the remnant tables at a fabric store can lead you to some beautiful bargains. You can use remnants to recover pillows, add banding to drapes or make runners for the table or buffet. Try adding a luxurious throw to the sofa or a small wool rug on top of existing carpet for a cozy, layered look.

You can also consider investing in having a quality piece of furniture reupholstered. Look for a fabric that is not only beautiful, but durable as well, so you get more bang for your buck. For example, Sensuede is easy to clean, child- and petfriendly, yet is soft, comfortable and luxurious to the touch.

Accents Sometimes little things can add up to a big difference. Change out some of your accent pieces to add a special touch to any room. Metallic colors and materials such as gold, silver, bronze and copper add warmth and elegance. Vases, picture and mirror frames, decorative bowls and trays are simple ways to bring beautiful metals into any room. Richly colored candles add color and scent to a room, and their soft light will make your metallic accents glow.

Flooring Sometimes the floor can get overlooked as a design element in a room. But a beautiful floor can pull the whole look of a room together. Refinishing hardwood floors, installing laminate or stone flooring, replacing carpets or investing in quality area rugs are all ways you can add the perfect finishing touch to a room.

There are a lot of ways you can add luxury to your living spaces, so start exploring creative ways to make your home the pictureperfect place you’ve always wanted.

Why Detox?
Detox diets allege to “purify” the body, making such claims as accelerated weight loss, increased energy, clearer skin and improved sleep patterns. The theory is that toxic substances stored in the body that cause harmful effects are turned into soluble substances that can be flushed from the body. Various detox diets include particular eating plans, fasting, juicing, colonic cleansing, herbal preparations and raw foods.

Detox advocates contend that our toxic levels have increased in concert with our exposure to environmental toxins such as chemicals and pollution, and pesticides, antibiotics and hormones in the food we eat. Our eating habits have changed as well: consumption of processed foods, artificial sweeteners and various food chemicals has increased in recent years. Detox supporters claim that our body’s ability to rid itself of these toxins is compromised by our increased exposure to these hazards

The Little Known Risks of Detox Dieting
Scientific studies have yet to prove the effectiveness of any detox diet. There are a number of risks associated with some, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, a sluggish metabolism from severe restriction of calories and weight gain once a normal diet is resumed. Drastic or restrictive diets can also cause an increase in cortisol levels, the stress hormone that promotes fat storage. In reality, none of these diets can change the form of toxins in the body to release them. The body’s own ability to metabolize food, along with the help of detoxifying organs like the liver and kidneys, is all you need to purify and maintain a healthy body, especially when combined with a healthy diet.

How to Detox the Healthy Way
There are ways to “eat clean” or “detox” so that your body will not have to work as hard to purify the system. Instead of suffering through a drastic diet, follow these simple guidelines:

1. Don’t starve yourself: Ask anyone who has tried a severe calorie-restricted diet if they lost weight. Most will say yes, but then ask if they kept the weight off. The lesson? Deprivation is sure to backfire.
2. Don’t go cold turkey: Most detox plans require cutting out alcohol, caffeine or sugar entirely. While there’s nothing wrong with eliminating these items from your diet, it is important to do so gradually so that you won’t suffer any side effects or withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches.
3. Buy organic produce when possible to avoid excessive pesticide residue: Organic food can be expensive. If you can’t afford to shop organic every time, focus on those fruits and veggies that absorb these chemicals most readily, such as apples, strawberries, peaches, lettuce, spinach, celery and red bell peppers.
4. Focus on cruciferous vegetables: Vegetables like broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, cauliflower and cabbage are natural detoxifiers.
5. Buy organic dairy products and meat: If you have to limit organic food purchases due to budget constraints, the best bang for your buck is in organic dairy and grass-fed meats that are hormone and antibiotic free. Recent studies show evidence of antibiotic resistance that can stem from overexposure to antibiotics present in the foods we eat.
6. Avoid processed foods: These are typically found on the inside aisles of the supermarket, and are too often loaded with sugar, salt, preservatives and/or chemicals. Read labels; if the product contains something you can’t pronounce or recognize, put it back.
7. Select fish with lower levels of toxins: The rule of thumb is to choose fish that are smaller and younger because the larger, older fish consumed more pollutants while in the water. Good choices include salmon, herring and sardines. Fish with higher toxin levels (including mercury) are tuna, tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel.
8. Up your intake of omega-3 fatty acids: Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and flaxseed, can help reduce inflammation.
9. Drink plenty of water: It is easy to forget to consume water when your detox plan includes juicing and vegetables with a high water content. Staying hydrated with plain, filtered water will keep energy and metabolism revved up.

Reduce Toxins for Good
Look for a detox plan that caters to your individual needs, be they weight loss, overall improved health or clearer skin. To preserve your mental edge, select a diet that isn’t too restrictive and lasts no longer than two days. Instead of returning to unhealthy habits just because you completed a detox diet, incorporate healthy and permanent changes into your daily routine. Remember: any diet plan should include the healthy foods you enjoy in order to have lasting results.

It was said first by a famous bard: the stars do not hold our destiny but we ourselves do. In August 2005, the stars surely seemed aligned against New Orleans. By February 2013, New Orleans had itself become a star. For a full week, national and international media and high-profile visitors descended upon the Big Easy and the town found itself in crunch time.

Likewise, the city descended upon the media and players. The Big Easy delivered like Drew Brees in the red zone within the two-minute warning. Reaction among the national press was overwhelmingly positive, and it was common to overhear that New Orleans was considered, perhaps along with Miami, the best possible Super Bowl site. The owner of the Baltimore Ravens, Steve Bisciotti, on the podium after receiving the Lombardi Trophy and before the largest of national television audiences, stated, “I want to thank the city of New Orleans for what is just a spectacular way to celebrate. I have never seen anything like it.”

The NFL Network had over 140 hours of programming in the city and CBS News, Sports, Entertainment and Radio all set up studios for the week’s duration in the convention center and in Jackson Square to great effect. ESPN made the scenery of the Vieux Carré and the river its backdrop for a live audience of thousands over the course of a full week of live telecasts. The city itself played a role in the game as almost every interview featured questions about how the players would handle the local “distractions,” especially as the teams’ hotels were located in the French Quarter, not necessarily the tamest section of the city. Future MVP Joe Flacco dealt with it well enough:

“This is the first time I’ve been here. It seems like a very fun time. I was walking around the city for a little bit last night just to kind of get a feel for it. Most places, I would assume you go out on a Monday night and walk around and it’s pretty quiet, pretty dead. Parts of the city were like that but in other parts of the city, it didn’t seem too much like a Monday night. It’s crazy to think about what this place might be like on the weekend.”

While most players similarly spoke admiringly of the food and the sites, their approach mostly concerned their focus on preparation, as Ravens cornerback Cary Williams stated: “I’m not here for a city tour. I’m here to win a football game.” And so the Ravens did.

And then there was NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The question early on was whether he would feel as though he was behind enemy lines, but it turned out that his impression was just as grand:

“I couldn’t feel more welcome here. I’m serious, really, the people here have been incredible … They couldn’t be more welcoming, and the same is true with fans.  Now, I understand the fans’ loyalty is to the team … I appreciate the passion.”

After the game, Goodell was even more effusive, stating:

“We had a fantastic Super Bowl, a thrill for the game. It looks like our fans were also thrilled. Early indications show that, for the third consecutive year, it will have been the most-watched television show in history … To New Orleans, an absolutely spectacular job hosting the Super Bowl … It was an awesome week. The city did a great job. It was great to be here.”

The game itself was perhaps the most competitive and exhilarating in NFL Championship history and the feeling inside the Dome was that of a college championship bowl game, with two old-line traditional pro football cities bringing huge noise, well rehearsed cheers and energy when both sides had the ball. But Super Bowl XLVII was not just a competition on the field; it was a competition between cities, Super Bowl sites past and future. The value to New Orleans was incalculable. Hundreds of thousands of visitors and scores of NFL events (such as the Taste of the NFL food extravaganza) plugged hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy and a future bid for the 2018 Super Bowl hangs in the air. All of this can be estimated to the penny, but the value of pride, of satisfaction and of finally being able to say and show that the city has “recovered” and mean it—that feeling cannot be valued any more than it can in a person.

In 2009, the Saints finally came marching in and joined that elite list of franchises that had won a championship, leaving behind a legacy of disappointment. In 2013, the city itself came marching back into the nation’s consciousness with a display that showed it deserves to be ranked among America’s most prominent cities. New Orleanians should never forget how brightly they and their town shone that night.

Anyone who gets an office job at the restaurant chain Raising Cane’s, whether in accounting or marketing or tech support, will spend two weeks minimum as a fry cook and cashier. “Fry cook” and “cashier” also become part of each employee’s official title.

“The whole idea is that we’re all serving chicken to our customers. We don’t want to lose sight of that,” says Founder, CEO, Fry Cook and Cashier Todd Graves. “Everyone goes through training at one of our restaurants. They need to understand what it’s about. At other restaurants, people in three-piece suits talk about customer service, but to me they seem disconnected.”

Graves himself doesn’t spend too much time behind the counter anymore, but over the years he’s certainly expended a lot of elbow grease. Even before Cane’s began, to raise the capital for his first location, Graves put in long hours at an oil refinery, and later, on an Alaskan fishing boat. Hammer in hand, he built his first restaurant in Baton Rouge in 1996. Now the chain boasts almost 150 locations around the country.

Graves’ story is the story of his restaurant. He always appears in Raising Cane’s ads, he’s featured prominently on the corporate website and his yellow Lab (Cane I and now Cane II) serves as the restaurant’s namesake and mascot.

The Raising Cane’s narrative is a classic, entrepreneurial one of vision and hard work leading to success, so it’s not surprising that Graves feels motivated to help out with an annual event called Lemonade Day, which aims to teach children about the basics of running a business. This year, Lemonade Day takes place on Saturday, May 4, when kids in the New Orleans area (and in dozens of other communities around the country) will sell lemonade from handmade stands and decorated card tables.

“They’ll learn how to earn money, to save some and to give a little back to the community,” Graves said. “My first business when I was a kid was a lemonade stand.”
Graves and his friend John Georges, owner of Georges Enterprises, are the two key local sponsors. Lemonade Day workbooks are distributed at Raising Cane’s restaurants.

Although Graves seems to have always had business in his blood, he studied telecommunications and journalism at LSU, not business. “I never had any formal management training,” he said. “In hindsight, it could have helped with my learning curve.”

While a student, he worked in restaurants. Food, if not necessarily chicken fingers, was always a passion.

“Growing up in South Louisiana, food was love. When my grandmother made me a pie, it was because she loved me,” he said. “I would spend time with my mother in the kitchen. She cooked dinner every night. That was a special time for me. And I love the feeling and the pace of working in a restaurant—making people happy, cooking for them and cleaning up after them.”

Raising Cane’s has always had a limited menu, consisting of basically just chicken fingers and a few sides. When opening Raising Cane’s, Graves decided his strategy would be to focus on one thing so he could do it better than anyone else. At the time, chicken fingers were becoming a big thing.

Many restaurants fail, and Graves attributes the success of Raising Cane’s to its focus, as well as to the company culture. “The restaurant is my dream. It means something to me,” he said. “You can tell if a business is driven by its founder. If it’s driven by a venture capitalist, it’s just a financial transaction. For me and my organization, serving our food to customers is a matter of pride.”

Restaurants are part of the family. When Graves met the woman who’d become his wife, she was a McDonald’s franchisee. Along with raising their children, she now is involved in Raising Cane’s community outreach.

“When we were dating, it was fun. We could talk shop,” Graves said. “We’d discuss how we’d salt our fries.”

The Rocking Renaissance Man of Movies, Television and Music Releases his Impressive Second Album, “Leaving Nothin’ Behind,” Signs Up to Star in “NCIS: Red” and Dishes about Good Times Spent in New Orleans

John Corbett is mainly known and loved for all those darling, committed, patient, nice guy/boyfriend types he’s played so adeptly throughout his strong acting career, including roles as the sweet, sincere Aidan Shaw on “Sex and the City,” and the kindhearted Ian Miller in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” But Corbett’s innate artistry and creative expression definitely do not stop at Hollywood! The native West Virginian has proven that he’s a good guy on the music landscape as well, thanks to his impressive talent, on full display on his country rock debut album, “John Corbett,” released in 2006, and now again on his sophomore album released on February 5, “Leaving Nothin’ Behind,” certainly a labor of Corbett’s musical love worthy of sticking in the dash and cranking up for long drives down dusty highways. With Corbett’s golden vocals handling honest, heartfelt lyrics about life’s ups and downs, layered atop a nice dose of acoustic guitar sound, the result is an admirable project rich with a rootsy, gutsy, soulful Americana vibe, deserving of the critical acclaim due heavy-hitting artists.

“New Orleans Living” enjoyed a spirited conversation with the charming, good humored and down-to-earth Corbett, whose lust for life is refreshingly intact. He was on the cusp of the release of “Leaving Nothin’ Behind,” and about to land an exciting deal to star as lead man, Roy Quaid, in CBS’ “NCIS: Red,” which will air this spring on an episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles” as a potential spinoff of the successful series.

Corbett was fired up about his brand-spanking new music, and also about his time spent in New Orleans, most recently at the tail end of the 2012 filming of “The Lookalike,” an upcoming comedy about two criminals searching for a drug lord’s lookalike love interest after the unexpected death of the girl who held his attention. In between filming and notable voiceover work for major brands like Walgreens and Applebee’s, Corbett will head out on the road with his band to bring his music live to old and new fans. Fingers are crossed that he’ll make it to town soon with his guitar in tow to rock a New Orleans stage!

Hey John! Between your new album, “Leaving Nothin’ Behind,” and your first album, “John Corbett,” you have really carved out your own distinctive sound—and it rocks! You obviously choose songs to record that really move you.

Cool, thank you Christine! It’s kind of like movies in a way; when you read a script, you just get it. You identify with something in it and you want to play that role, or you just shrug your shoulders and say, “Eh, I don’t really have a connection to it. No thank you.” I do write songs, but all my songs are just bad compared to guys like Jon Randall, who produced my record and wrote seven of my ten songs. I go with the better songs always, so that means none of my songs will probably ever end up on my record. Other people tell better stories in three minutes, and I can better identify with those songs.

Since you often play the sweetheart boyfriend and good guy types of roles, perhaps it was somewhat refreshing for you to record some of the songs on “Leaving Nothin’ Behind” with darker themes like death, drinking and murder. 

Yeah! If I had my way, those are the kind of movies that I’d be in too, but I’m not an actor like Ben Affleck, who I love, and who produces, directs and puts himself in movies. I just don’t have that drive that he has as an actor. I wait for the phone to ring from somebody who thinks I’d be good in their project, and for me that usually means somebody wants me to be in a G-rated movie playing a nice guy getting the girl in the end. Although, in the movie I just made in New Orleans around Christmas, I got to be a drug dealer who kills people, takes them out to the swamp and feeds them to the alligators! I like those bad guy movies and I want to play those roles, but they don’t always come my way, so I’m not going to make a record about unicorns smoking a peace pipe under a rainbow!

In the movie you recently filmed in New Orleans, “The Lookalike,” you play Bobby, so congrats for landing that bad guy role. Did you also film the portion of “The Lookalike” that was shot in the Bahamas? 

Nope. I only kill people in the city and dump ‘em in swamps! (Laughs). I had the best time in New Orleans. I stayed at the great Hotel Monteleone and man, I was down in that Carousel Bar every night having a cocktail, spinning round and round! It was the best! I did a TV movie over a year ago called “Ricochet” in New Orleans and I stayed at Loews and it was a great hotel. I’d go to Ernst Café a lot—wow, that’s my favorite little hang! They make such a great burger! But staying right in the Quarter is the best. Me and Jerry O’Connell, who’s a great actor and a buddy of mine and also in “The Lookalike,” would be out every night just walking the Quarter, getting a few cocktails, grabbing a bite—that was living for me, because the town where I live out in the country in central California only has a few thousand people and it rolls up at 9 o’clock at night. So to be in that action is like a dream come true for me!

It’s a great balance to be able to live that calm country life and then turn around and be all up in the primordial ooze of New Orleans, taking in all those sights and smells, like on Frenchmen Street.

Oh yeah! I could go for some of that Super Bowl or Mardi Gras type action right now! I would love to be there, feeling that energy! I got hip to Frenchmen Street after somebody told me about it while I was doing “Ricochet.” I took a long walk over to Frenchmen and I fell in love with it. So when I filmed “The Lookalike,” me and Jerry O’Connell would walk there four or five times a week and hear some amazing music. I love Bourbon Street, but the music gets to be a little bit predictable. You can walk a few blocks and hear “Mustang Sally” three times, you know? On Frenchmen Street, you hear such original, different stuff.

Getting back to “Leaving Nothin’ Behind:” I love this album! It’s a winner. It’s got some real Texas flair to it, with a smidge of Nashville too. That dirt road feel is definitely on this album. Some of it sounds like music Pat Green might record. 

Thanks so much! And that’s funny you say that because Jon Randall is producing Pat Green right now, and in fact, when my first record came out, a lot of people compared the song “Good to Go” with a Pat Green song, which doesn’t hurt my feelings at all. I love Pat Green! And for the first single off of the new album, I thought about putting out “Name on a Stone,” but it was so much like “Good to Go” both musically and message-wise and I just wanted to do something different. “Me and Whiskey” was a little more up-tempo, fun and not a “message” song. It starts out with this bass beat I like, and it’s in the chord of D, so it’s the first single. I’m not reaching out to country radio as much as I’m going down the Americana line this time, and that’s always been one of my favorite genres of music. I’m hoping to get a little Americana radio play.

Was music your first love, before acting? 

I love acting too, but let’s say four actors came to my house for dinner; we’re never going to get together and do a scene just for fun. “Hey, everybody, let’s sit in a circle like an old-time radio thing and let’s do a scene! Let’s do that scene from ‘Silence of the Lambs!’” It’s just never going to happen! But if I have four guys who come over to the house that know how to play guitar and there are four guitars sitting in my living room, which there always are, there’s no way that somebody’s not going to grab a guitar and we’re not going start singing some Eagles songs. That’s just the way it’s going to go down. I wouldn’t call people into the living room to listen to me do a monologue from “Macbeth.”

Well, you’re lucky to have found different outlets for your creativity. You told me a few years ago, after your first album, that there would be 600 women and 10 guys at your concerts! Has that changed?

Yeah, funny enough, it did, especially when we’d go back to a city to play a second, third or fourth show. I’d notice more and more guys there. When you’re an actor and you’ve been on “Sex and the City,” other guys who really like music can think, “Oh, I know what this guy is doing up there,” but once they see us, they see that we’re four guys up there just playing our music and not some Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett kind of thing. The show isn’t geared toward women or me being on “Sex and the City;” people maybe came out to see that person the first time around. I’m a pretty good singer and a pretty good guitarist, but I am the worst one in the band! My guys are really good musicians and when others see us, they see that our lead guitar player, Tara, is amazing. He almost always gets a standing ovation when he really lays it down.

When I heard your voice on the “At the Corner of Happy and Healthy” commercial for Walgreens, I was like, “Cool! I’m going to Walgreens! That voice is telling me to get to Walgreens!” (Laughs).

That’s what’s called a blessing! It’s a blessing for any solid working actor who feels he’s just lucky to be working. If you get a phone call from a national brand like that and they want you to be the spokesman, you just thank your lucky stars and say “Yes, please!” and “What time should I be there?” And I tell you, Walgreens is the only place I shop, and the only place I will shop until they hire someone else! (Laughs).

You’ve been to Mardi Gras before. Next time you’re here for it, what will you costume as?

I love Mardi Gras. It’s just completely insane! I’d want to be comfy and not too hot, so I would not want to wear a latex Batman outfit. I’d be an old Western bank robber. That way I wouldn’t have to buy anything new because I only like to wear my old clothes that I’ve been wearing for twenty years. I’d wear my old cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and I’d put a neckerchief around my nose and people would think I had a costume on, and really I’d just be grabbing old stuff from around the house to throw on, and I’d be really comfortable and wouldn’t be sweaty.

Awesome, John! Please put New Orleans on your tour list this year, OK? 

If I do, I will be front and center at One Eyed Jacks, my buddy Rio Hackford’s club. I love that joint! Put it this way: I WILL play at One Eyed Jack’s!

BH: What drew you to this project?

SF: I have performed in New Orleans several times before with touring road companies like “Will Rogers Follies,” “Grease” and “Les Miserables.” I absolutely love New Orleans and have been wanting to come back. And I love Seth Rudetsky.

BH: What’s it like working with him?

SF: Seth is a master and a hilarious one. You never know what’s going to happen around him, what he’s going to say or ask you to do. It’ll be an unexpected evening: spontaneous and probably a walk down memory lane.

BH: How do you bring a song to life in concert?

SF: I like approaching material through myself. Often, when I work with young musical theatre performers, I tell them to make each song relatable to them. You don’t have to be a “princess locked in a tower” to know what it’s like to wait for something for a long time. How can we personalize songs to make them more genuine and authentic? When selecting material, I really pay attention to the lyrics and to songs that resonate with me personally. It’s also fun to deconstruct a song, to take away the costumes and the stage lights. Redefine it, so to speak.

BH: You’ve got such a diverse career: the hit “Bunheads” on ABC Family, a streak of Broadway and Off Broadway successes and a thriving concert career. How do you balance it all?

SF: Sometimes I get very overwhelmed … but I absolutely love all of it. I love to work. I love to create. One of my favorite phrases is “I have an idea.” I’m not one to ever sit idle. I love to keep moving forward. I hope to be able to work for a long time.

For more information about the Broadway at NOCCA series, visit www.nolabroadway.com

In 2011, the Old U.S. Mint—the only mint in the country to produce both Confederate and American coins it its operational history, and now part of the Louisiana State Museum (LSM)—has opened a performance space on its third floor. On March 22, legendary local Deacon John and his band the Ivories will make their first appearance at the space. 

I interviewed Jason Strada, Chief Administrative Officer of Friends of the Cabildo (which provides financial and volunteer support to LSM), about the Mint and the upcoming concert.

BH: What does the Mint contain?

JS: It’s a museum, research center, collections facility, exhibition space and, now, a performance space. The latter is a joint partnership between the LSM and National Park Service. The Louisiana Historical Center is at the Mint as well.

BH: What activities take place in the performance space?

JS: The Jazz Historical Park hosts its concerts during the day and the LSM holds events at night. The LSM is responsible for recording and preserving the shows in the music archives, which is a goal of the Mint. Friends of the Cabildo uses the space for lectures, concerts and our annual board meeting.

BH: Why did you select Deacon John for this fundraiser?

JS: When we were selling tickets for Allen Toussaint’s concert in December, the biggest request for our next concert was Deacon, so Greg Lambousy (Director of Collections) and I worked out a deal. We are already 75% full [as of mid-February].

For information about the Deacon John concert, visit www.friendsofthecabildo.org/events-calendar/

For more information about the Mint and other upcoming events, visit www.crt.state.la.us/museum/properties/usmint/

“For three months, I did nothing but peel potatoes, carrots and onions,” Chef Ian Schnoebelen confided with a laugh. He’s come quite a long way since his first kitchen job at the tender age of 16. Born in Hawaii and raised in Southern California, Schnoebelen worked in kitchens throughout college while pursuing a degree in anthropology from Long Beach University, but he didn’t quite become another Indiana Jones. “I quit because I knew I wanted to be a chef,” he said.

As a prep cook in the Newporter Resort in Newport Beach, Schnoebelen established a strong work ethic from his first mentor, Chef Jack Kalustian. Schnoebelen decided to move to New Orleans and worked as Executive Chef of the Red Room, as well as played an instrumental role in the opening of the Commander’s Palace outpost in Las Vegas. He then spent several years as the sous chef at John Harris’ popular restaurant, Lilette, on Magazine Street.

In 2006, Schnoebelen and his partner, Laurie Casebonne, opened Iris in the Riverbend where it was named the Best New Restaurant by New Orleans Magazine. Later, they moved the restaurant to its current location inside the Bienville House Hotel in the French Quarter. While Iris remains a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, partners Schnoebelen and Casebonne have ventured out into a second restaurant, Mariza, which was inspired by a recent trip they took to Italy.

“It’s really exciting to be opening a restaurant in my own neighborhood,” Schnoebelen admitted. “We’re making our own pastas, perfecting our gnocchi and offering our own house-cured meats or ‘salumi.’” Mariza opened its doors about a month ago inside the Rice Mill Lofts in the Bywater. Fans are already raving about the Italian-inspired menu featuring dishes like Lamb Belly Orechiette, Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio and Duck Ragout Papardelle.

–Photography David Tompkins

While living and working overseas, local-born businessman Joe Rotolo was exposed to the luxury and comfort of a custom-tailored suit and never looked back. Although he worked as an international medical consultant, Rotolo took a leap in the opposite direction when he saw an opportunity in this niche market and followed his passion for well-tailored clothing.

Rotolo combined a version of his nickname, “Luke,” with his grandmother’s maiden name, “Falcone,” and Luca Falcone Custom Clothiers was born. Rotolo’s vision was to bring the European appreciation for tailored clothing to New Orleans and in March of 2012, he launched his first showroom inside Vernon Clothing Store on the corner of Josephine and Magazine Streets in the Lower Garden District.

Handmade, custom-tailored garments designed from elegant, Italian fabrics are offered to “free customers from the limitations of the rack.” Rotolo’s hand-picked staff of expert tailors can build any look desired for either men or women, from suits and shirts to belts, blazers and vests.

Rotolo is only 29, yet he’s already seeking to expand Luca Falcone into cities across the U.S. In fact, training and hiring has already begun for showrooms in Houston and Dallas, and planning is underway for a Miami location.

Rotolo is also planning to launch a new website this Spring. The current Luca Falcone database will be transferred to the new site, enabling returning customers to shop for new styles with their personal measurements at their fingertips. Additionally, there will be an online measuring tutorial for visitors who want a do-it-yourself approach, or tailors will be readily available to come to your home or office to take measurements at your convenience.

For more information, visit www.LFSuits.com

The copious amounts of construction, hotel developments and transportation improvements have all led up to the next few weeks. The eyes of the world are upon us and darn it we are going to look good. Not only will our fair city be bright and shiny, so will its citizens.

Game On

The first of January typically has many assessing their livelihood and how to better themselves. Resolving to cut out poor or unhealthy practices, remove stress, manage finances, spend quality time with loved ones or give to those less fortunate. Yet the most familiar pledge is to get fitter and lose weight. This resolution incites physical transformation of course, but it can also positively alter your mental state. When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you are better equipped handle all the daily anxieties of your life.

So whether you are gearing up for the big game or getting your game face on, there are a few places about town to make certain you stay looking cool while working up a sweat. Gone, and sadly so, are the Olivia Newton-John leg warmers and the Jane Fonda unitard, but the chic locations below offer fitness attire that could suffice for a cocktail at the Ritz.
Life: Yoga + Boutique specializes in clothing and accessories for the active woman. Owners and sisters Florecita and Suzy Rivera and their staff know that most women are limited on time, so they have created an environment that deflects the chaos of life. The Rivera sisters are busy mothers and small business owners who happen to enjoy exercise. They wrote the book on time management and like most, are overscheduled with work, family and endless errands. Their clothing and accessories are designed to take you from a workout to a lunch meeting with the quick addition of a chic tunic or wrap. “The thing that I find most important when purchasing workout clothing is that it not only be functional, fun and fashionable, but can be interchanged and used to make several outfits,” stated Florecita. Along with their own brand of long tanks and tunics, Life Clothing, the boutique carries stylish yet practical brands such as OMgirl, Lululemon, Lucy, Stacia and NUX.  Stacia’s soft and luxurious fabrics are made of bamboo and organic cotton. The line is complete with beautifully colored wraps, sweaters, cardigans and ponchos. For those women who prefer more supportive materials, NUX is a sensational line of tanks and leggings to keep “everything” in its place. Also unique to this peaceful boutique is that Life is a fully equipped yoga studio offering a range of classes to meet the needs of all attempting to find balance in 2013. It is simply OM-mazing.

Life: Yoga + Boutique

5422 Magazine Street

New Orleans, LA 70115

(504) 267-0380
lifenola.com

Fini Boutique, located one block off of Harrison Avenue on General Diaz in Lakeview,
handles outrageously comfortable and smart workout wear. Fini carries TASC performance apparel that utilizes sustainable bamboo fibers to wick moisture, fight odor and block UV rays. TASC’s sustainable clothing is ideal for a run around City Park or as layering pieces under one of Fini’s great vegan leather jackets. Shop owners, Kendall Jenkins and Monique Bonnafons, work hard to make sure you look fantastic before, during and after your workout. Kendall, an avid runner, enjoys the fact that her job is to make women look and feel confident and beautiful. Not only do these ladies have a knack for finding quality clothing at the perfect price and exceptional customer service, Fini offers the full line of Stila Cosmetics and Fantasy Tan airbrush tanning. With a spectacular selection of flattering leggings, posh wraps, brightly hued denim and effortless dresses, Fini is a mini-makeover one-stop-shop. The boutique is always stocked full of current and on-trend styles and Monique and Kendall know how hectic women’s lives can be. Visit Fini in the New Year for a new you. They will cheerfully meet you at the door with a glass of champagne to help you to relax and unwind.

Fini Boutique
6250 General Diaz
New Orleans, LA 70124
(504)  304-0633
www.finiboutique.com

Let’s get physical and fashionable in 2013! Happy shopping!

It came on the scene sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries, probably in Russia, or maybe Poland, depending on who you ask!

The name vodka likely comes from the Russian “voda,” meaning little water. Along with appearance and smell, all vodkas have a few other features in common: they’re all distilled several times, derived from a broad variety of grains or sugar–based plants and usually include additional filtering.

Finished vodka is usually 80 proof, or around 40% alcohol by volume. While flavored vodkas (sweet, spicy or fruity) are trendy these days, we’ll focus on the base, or neutral, spirit. Here are some popular choices, sorted by their principal ingredient, including a brand new Louisiana vodka from Rouses’ home base in Thibodaux:

Corn Vodka
Tito’s, Austin, Texas. How could you go wrong with a founder and owner named Tito Beveridge? Mr. Beveridge, a former geologist, painstakingly taste-tested dozens of the world’s best vodkas while developing his own brand. In the end, using American-grown corn, Tito’s is distilled six times in a smaller-batch antique pot still using a technique the company describes as similar to that which produces single malt scotch or cognac, and filtered through charcoal.

Wheat Vodka
Grey Goose, Cognac Region, France. Despite its French production, Grey Goose is a Bacardi company with a large U.S. market. According to its makers, it features bread-and pastry-quality wheat, as well as superior water, drawn from 500 feet underground and filtered through limestone. Grey Goose’s original vodka joins four other flavored varieties, including Cherry Noir, L’Orange and Le Citron. As an added flair, its bottles have corks rather than typical screw tops.

Sally’s tasting note: A smooth palate with cracked pepper, licorice and butter with a lingering aniseed flavor. Creates a rounded finish.

Potato Vodka
Chopin, Krzesk, Poland. Although also the maker of wheat and rye vodkas, Chopin (named for composer Frederic), produces its potato variety only in the fall, using potatoes that are carefully harvested for high starch content. Chopin achieves a self–sustaining process by recycling the leftover potato mash into fertilizer for the new crop. Chopin features no additives, and goes through four distillations and five filtrations to produce one of the earliest premium vodkas.

Sally’s tasting note: An alluring nose with subtle notes of vanilla and green apple. It’s creamy and wellrounded with a reassuring earthiness and a long, clean finish.

Rye Vodka
Belvedere, Zyrardów, Poland. Belvedere’s standard vodka, and its ten other varieties, all feature Dankowskie Gold Rye. Using a 600-year-old traditional Polish technique, Belvedere distills its vodka four times using artesian water from its own wells. Belvedere calls itself the world’s first producer of “luxury” vodka.

Sally’s tasting note: Some light vanilla notes swaying between sweet and savory, with a hint of white pepper and spice. Good lengthy finish with notes of almond and faint Brazil nut.

Rice Vodka
Oryza, Donner-Peltier Distillery, Thibodaux, Louisiana. Launched in December 2012, Donner-Peltier features handmade vodka as their first spirit (next up: rum). Louisiana rice is the unique ingredient from which this vodka is made. Add in local sugar (in fact, the distillery sits practically in the middle of sugar cane fields), and it’s easy to see how thoroughly Donner-Peltier capitalizes on fresh, Louisiana products. Master Distiller John Couchot spares no effort or expense in creating Oryza, distilling it 17 times, using quadruple-purified water in a custom, copper vodka still. And as a final bonus, Oryza vodka is gluten-free.

Sally’s tasting note: Deep and creamy, yet crisp to the palate, with a unique, subtle sweetness in the finish.

Grape Vodka
CÎROC Ultra-Premium, France. This unique vodka comes entirely from “snap frost” grapes grown in Gaillac, France. Unlike grains, grapes don’t need heat to release their sugars, so CÎROC uses cold maceration, cold fermentation and cold storage processes.

Sally’s tasting note: Hint of lime, citrus notes and a nice nose with a pleasant smooth finish.

It’s New Orleans Hornets forward Ryan Anderson’s job to stay fit, healthy and agile for his career on the court.

At the University of California, Anderson became the first player in the school’s history to record at least 600 points and 300 rebounds in a single season. As a freshman, he led the Bears in both scoring and rebounding, finishing fifth in the conference in both categories. Prior to the 2012 Olympics, Anderson represented the NBA in China while participating in NBA Fit clinics, interacting with Chinese youth in Dalian, Bejing and Guangzhou.

Off the court
Although playing basketball is his greatest love, the 6–foot–10–inch star also enjoys golfing and boxing. He finds boxing an especially fulfilling workout, extremely effective for both cardiovascular and muscular training. “Boxing is a great full–body workout.”

Eating right
Because of the high level of activity required for basketball, Ryan maintains a diet high in protein and carbohydrates. A typical day consists of eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast, soup and sandwich for lunch and meat, potatoes and salad for dinner. He also enjoys cooking for friends, and says he’s “a big Food Network kind of guy”. When planning to cook a meal, he often shops at Rouses, and values its cleanliness and wide selection of fresh produce.

Indulging occasionally
Despite the fact that Anderson arrived in the Crescent City as a big sushi fan, he quickly embraced the local food with open arms. “I love New Orleans cuisine and trying out different restaurants around town,” he says. He can’t seem to get enough of our barbecue shrimp, and is manic for the muffuletta. Ryan also has a sweet tooth, and really enjoys sweet, chewy and tangy Sour Patch Kids candy.

If you want to look in the mirror this New Year and see a fit and fabulous you, your goal is within reach. Health–minded individuals can start by focusing on these basic ideas:

Plan
By writing down your goals, you’re more likely to feel accountable for seeing them through. For example, posting your plan to lose five pounds by February 1 on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror or desk might just keep you going. You can also enlist the support and encouragement of your family and friends by telling them about your goals. And finding a partner with similar goals can make things easier, as you can motivate each another and succeed faster.

Exercise
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. With these milestones in mind, you can create your own blend of intensity. If exercising 30 minutes five times a week seems overwhelming, break it up into a manageable routine that better suits you. It can be just as effective to exercise in 10–15 minute spurts over the course of a day. Regardless of your exercise schedule, don’t reinvent the wheel or engage in too much repetition. If you’re stuck in a rut doing the same thing every day, that can become boring. Keep your workouts interesting and fun by mixing it up between swimming, walking or bicycling.

These are all great aerobic activities that have cardiovascular benefits, too.

Diet
When it comes to food, make informed choices. According to The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or lowfat milk and dairy products. It also includes lean meats, fish, eggs and poultry, and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars and sodium.

Focusing on portion size can also make a difference in keeping the extra pounds away. Many restaurants tend to offer larger portion sizes than you really need. You don’t have to eat it all, so consider sharing! At home, you might try using smaller plates. And make sure you’re really still hungry before going back for seconds, as your brain takes a few minutes to process that you’re actually full. You might even just be thirsty for one more glass of water.

Be aware of your triggers, as they are different for everyone. Some people are more inclined to eat more when they feel anxiety or stress.

Rather than eating, find a healthier alternative like taking a walk with your dog, meditating or doing yoga. It’s okay to snack, but the key is to find healthier options, like fresh fruit or low-fat yogurt. And look to replace some of the time you spend in front of the television or computer with anything that gets you up on your feet. These are all steps in the right direction.

On your journey to a fitter and more fabulous you, whether it’s your diet or your exercise plan, don’t hesitate to consult with your physician first, especially if you have an existing health condition. Your doctor can confirm that your health status is right for you to get started, or might prescribe some necessary medications. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a personal trainer or dietician if you feel the need for extra support or motivation.

Good luck!

New Orleans is a championship city. As testament, aside from the college football and basketball championships, New Orleans has hosted nine Super Bowls, and come February 2013 it will host its tenth. Only Miami has hosted as many, and no stadium has held as many Super Bowls within its confines as the Superdome. In all but this last, the city never hoped to dream or expect that it could possibly watch its home team play in the game itself, but this year promised to be different. After winning the Super Bowl after the 2009 season, overcoming all naysayers and 40 years of failure and derision, it seemed all things were possible; and in fact, the award of Super Bowl XLVII (the 47^th game for the Lombardi Trophy) had been made to the city just earlier that year so the very promise of a home championship wafted through the air and stayed there for another two more years as the Saints continued to dominate. Of course what then happened, in 2012, was a sort of tragic deux ex machine: the commissioner from on high divined a series of pronouncements that at first accused, then adjudged, then sentenced the team and its fans to a season in living purgatory. The details are no longer worth repeating because they have been so well debated by now, but the team was left virtually hogtied without its head coach all year and the assistant head coach and its general manager for much of the year, while multiple players saw their futures in doubt, and inevitably confusion and emotionalism reigned throughout, leaving what should have been a bountiful year instead fallow and without reward.

But it is time to turn the page, because what remains is the fact that the city is hands down the absolute best Super Bowl destination possible for the league, as it offers a walkable downtown stadium, a warm southern climate, world-class cuisine, nearby fine drinking establishments and public houses aplenty, a surfeit of hotel rooms and meeting spaces and numerous tourist and historical sites for families not so inclined to enjoy the other features. New Orleans opens its doors to tourists year-round, and the Super Bowl is not even the biggest event it will host in 2013, coming in distantly behind Carnival. No other Super Bowl suitor can claim that. The city’s tourism industry is well oiled and well prepared and it will handle the event seamlessly, both league and locale seem perfectly matched, and yet this will be the first time the Crescent City has hosted since 2002.

Much transpired between the city and league before the first Super Bowl in 1970, including New Orleans being courted by the old AFL and the congressional intrigue that legend says landed the franchise here under the NFL’s shield in 1966 in a bargain that also made the modern league a reality. And much has happened since the last, including the threat to the city and Saints franchise due to Hurricane Katrina, the great “pay-for-performance” tempest of this past year and a league championship to call their own. But in between, the New Orleans Super Bowls have featured Len Dawson hammering the nail into the old NFL’s coffin, Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw winning their respective dynasties’ first titles, Denver’s Orange Crush being crushed by Golden Richards’ diving touchdown catch, the redemption of Jim Plunkett, the 1985 Bears featuring the “46” defense and Walter “Sweetness” Payton, the triumph of Joe Montana over John Elway, Brett Favre’s sole championship and finally, the rise of the New England Patriots.

Thus, a lot has gone down between city and league, and nearly all of it has been mutually beneficial. Over the course of the two weeks leading up to the big game, the league will bring the NFL Experience, a multi-day interactive entertainment event featuring games, displays, clinics, player appearances and memorabilia, all held at the Morial Convention Center, as well as the Taste of the NFL and NFL Media Day—all open to the public. But more importantly, the city will be featured by national and international media, and sports and entertainment celebrities will be in town in abundance, and as a result the city will be getting just what it pleaded for in 2005 when its survival was so much in doubt: a chance to show its continued relevance, vitality and importance to the nation. And the league, of course, will receive the city’s reciprocation as it finds itself immersed in the middle of Mardi Gras, the biggest free party in the nation surrounding its own crowning celebration on a gratis basis, again an offering unique to New Orleans. Much has been said of the Saints’ connection to the city and the intertwining passions that make football in the Big Easy so special, but it is well worth remembering that there is still a connection between the city and the nation that needs to be completely renewed and this may be the best chance to do so since that infernal storm wreaked havoc. Ironically, though the league has sometimes been perceived in the past year to be the city’s greatest nemesis, it is the NFL itself which can finally restore New Orleans’s place in the American consciousness. And in order to do that, Saints fans and the City that Care Forgot need to forgive, forget and party. Well, at least until next year.

After the holidays, a lot of us are in panic mode to shed those extra holiday pounds. It is still common to look to the latest diet craze, perhaps perusing infomercials or the Diet & Nutrition section of the book store, but more recently there has been a movement away from fad diets. People are finally realizing they need to get back to basics: calories in (food) versus calories out (daily activity plus exercise), and the latest studies reinforce what we’ve known for decades.

Yet many are still convinced that restricting or eliminating certain foods from their diet is the only way to go. While most of these fad diets do work short term because they involve caloric restriction, their long-term success remains grim. Let’s be honest, swearing of carbs completely or only eating fish or chicken with vegetables everyday is not only unrealistic, but a little depressing. Not to mention even more drastic methods like the HCG diet, which involves hormone injections and a 500-calorie limit each day. Who can live like that, even for a short period of time? Once you resume “normal” eating patterns, the weight comes back faster than it came off.

Still, fad diets are popular for a reason, and rather than dispel them completely, below are a few tried-and-true “diets” that can work:

• Lower your carbohydrate intake. Diets like Atkins and Ideal Protein work because carbs are the foods that we tend to overeat more than anything else. This is especially true in restaurants, where plates are overloaded with sides like pasta, rice, French fries, etc., because they are cheaper to serve than extra protein or fresh vegetables.

How to do it: Limit carb servings to one per meal, avoiding altogether at dinner. One serving of carbs equates to one slice of bread, one-half cup pasta or rice, one-fourth of a bagel or five to six crackers. These servings are typically A LOT less than most are accustomed to. Cutting out carbs completely never works long-term. I know I couldn’t live without cheese and crackers and good bread, and especially a sweet indulgence every now and then. Fruits and dairy products are also classified as carbohydrates; however, fruit is a good choice since we tend not to overdo it like we do the starchy carbs. And, dairy products contain protein, which keeps us full and provides a good source of calcium.

• Eliminate processed foods. One of my favorite books, admittedly an oldie but goodie but the principles from which still stick with me is “French Women Don’t Get Fat.” The book’s preface is that we should eat moderate amounts of everything we enjoy, but focus on the real, highest-quality foods, eliminating processed foods as much as possible.

How to do it: Focus on fruits and vegetables that are in season because they taste the best. Head to your local farmers market for fresh produce and grass-fed and hormone-free meats and eggs. Enjoy the foods you love. If you like cheese, indulge in the finest you can afford but eat a smaller amount. Go ahead and have a little chocolate, but select a good dark chocolate; a few bites is all you will need with the rich taste. Have a glass of wine with a meal instead of wasting calories on multiple pre-dinner cocktails. While this no longer a novel concept, I like this book’s approach of because it’s all about lifestyle as opposed to dieting, a word to which the author is vehemently opposed. It also stresses physical activity that does not have to take place in the gym. For example, park far away from your destination or walk if it’s close, walk to the neighborhood coffee shops instead of driving, take the stairs, swim a few laps if you have a pool or take an evening walk after dinner. Chances are, if you’re not an avid gym person, trying to spend countless hours there probably won’t stick. The latest studies show that short bursts of exercise throughout the day (~15-30 minutes each) can be just as effective as longer workouts.

• Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet. This is a more specific take on the diets that call for elimination of processed foods.

How to do it: Stick with real foods. Purge your kitchen of processed foods, especially ones that list any type of enriched flour, animal fat, sugar or syrup in the first few ingredients (including honey, molasses, high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup. Stick to lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, 100% whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

• Meal delivery services. Vendors such as Fit Gourmet can deliver meals to you based on the calorie level appropriate for you. This can work as long as you have the base of knowledge to know how to eat when not following the plan.

The Bottom Line
Don’t discount these principles and diets because they seem too uncomplicated to really work. You would be surprised how much you don’t have to restrict yourself or spend countless hours at the gym to reach your goals.

Next Month
I will discuss the foods that are worth spending a little extra money on and the ones that you can buy cheaper versions of that are just as nutritious.

It is time to make resolutions, set up schedules and get fierce with how we budget everything from our finances to our downtime.

The national chatter of “falling off fiscal cliffs” has this writer’s thoughts turning to personal fiscal reorganization. For me, that means facing the fact that after three years of renovating a house, it is time to open our rented storage spaces. This is the year to remove rather than continue hoarding several lifetimes and generations of treasures and—let’s be honest—trash.

Thus my biggest resolution this year? To clear out two storage bins.

The truth is, even though I constantly give tips on organizing, purging and pruning closets and pantries, I have no idea where to begin. I am, in a word, “overwhelmed.”

Rented Storage: A Slippery Slope
I love storage spaces. Being able to hire a truck or mover to pick up furniture, boxes of cookware, art—what have you—and cart it off to a secure storage space when painting a room, redoing a kitchen, or stashing stuff is a blessing.

Storing things away is a bit like making a pact with the devil. Because it’s so easy, one can:

1) Forget about it.

2) Get on with the project and decorate with a fresh new eye.

3) Become terrified of the idea of editing the contents that linger in storage bins.

Presently, I fall into the “terrified” group. How did I get into this jam? Easy.

I justified the first and second bins easily. One is for staging rental and home-sale properties. The second was necessary for the contents of our home during a three-year renovation that unfolded room by room. As the contents and clutter got packed up from each room, away they went to storage. The third space was the simple solution to stashing inherited and acquired furniture out of our newly de-cluttered home.

The Inevitable Price Tag
At year’s end, I began to look for some ways to impose a cut or two on my own personal budget. And that, Good Readers, is when I added up all those monthly storage space bills. It seems we are spending what could be a nice vacation on keeping things tucked away for someday, someplace and someone to love.

The homes of children, nieces and nephews could be a landing spot for treasures but tastes change and the younger adults tend not to feel warm and fuzzy about what they perceive to be castoffs. Empire and Victorian may not be their cup of tea, nor do they have any more room than we do.

Feeling at this point like the star of a cheap paperback on thrift and efficiency, I am lost! This saga may continue for some time so I will keep you posted. Perhaps this subject may be perennial under my pen. Your thoughts, observations and recommendations will all be most welcome – diane.sustendal@sustendal.net.

Oh, and thanks for your help.

On Friday January 18 and Sunday January 20, the Loyola Opera Theatre, backed by the largest orchestra ever used in one of its productions, will present Leonard Bernstein’s perennial favorite “Candide.”

Recently, I interviewed Carol Rausch, the production’s music director and conductor. As well as being the opera and vocal coach at Loyola, she is the chorus master, music coordinator and education director for New Orleans Opera and the chorus master and music administrator for the Chautauqua Opera’s summer festival, located in upstate New York.

BH: You’re from Ohio, and you obtained your undergraduate degree in Indiana, then traveled around a bit before settling in New Orleans in 1994. What brought you here?

CR: I’m from Columbus, OH, and did my undergraduate degree in piano at Indiana University. Then, not sure what I wanted to do, I came home and did a master’s in music and worked toward a doctorate at Ohio State University in my hometown. A year abroad (in Brussels, Belgium) as a Rotary Foundation Graduate Fellow convinced me I should be working in opera. I lived in Miami, FL, and Norfolk, VA working for companies there before finding out about the chorus master opening at New Orleans Opera. I moved to the city in May 1994 and started work at the company that fall.

BH: You work in the music department at Loyola and at New Orleans Opera. What does your work at Loyola entail?

CR: I’m director of Loyola Opera Theatre. I pick the projects for each academic year—usually one fully staged production with orchestra, a scenes program and a concert of opera excerpts. I prepare the students musically, and also accompany at the piano or conduct each of these events. There’s also a lot of less glamorous, behind-the-scenes work: scheduling, ordering costumes, picking up props from the New Orleans Opera Scenic Studio, etc.

BH: I understand this is the largest orchestra used in a Loyola opera.

CR: We have more brass in this production than normal, and we haven’t had a tuba before! And there are all kinds of percussion—a huge array that will take three players! The collaboration is special. Former dean of the college of music, Ed Kvet, put in place a kind of mentoring system some years back. So, if there are two flutes, flutist Patti Adams of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) and one of her students will play. Former LPO concertmaster Amy Thiaville will act as our concertmaster, with several of her students in the section. It works so well; students who haven’t played opera before get a shot at that, and we can get a fine sound from the pit!

BH: Leonard Bernstein made his reputation in both classical music and musical theater. “Candide,” an opera, seems to bridge the genres a little. Do you agree?

CR: Yes, “Candide” brilliantly bridges the gap between opera and Broadway. I think many more people know Bernstein for “West Side Story,” although he wanted to be known just as much for his symphonies and other classical compositions.

BH: The story of “Candide” will be familiar to many who read Voltaire in high school. Many people also may have at least a passing knowledge of the opera or some of its more famous numbers. What can you say, briefly, for those less familiar with the show?

CR: Even if you haven’t read the Voltaire or seen “Candide” before, you can relate to the characters who careen through a series of crazy adventures all over the world, suffering heartache and disillusion, overcoming setbacks and finally gaining wisdom and acceptance of who they are in life. And all of this is set to a wonderful, inventive musical score!

The Beloved and Outspoken Actress/Comedian/Producer Stars in another Dynamite Show of Her Own Making and Dedicates Herself Daily to the Defeat of Cancer through Prevention and Awareness

After Fran Drescher made her entree into film with a bit part as a dancer in “Saturday Night Fever” in 1977, the wonderful world of Hollywood continued to stay wide open as her oyster, and the talented actress went on to score roles in films such as “The Hollywood Knights,” “Doctor Detroit” and “This is Spinal Tap.” In “The Nanny,” the popular show she created in 1993 with then husband Peter Marc Jacobson, Drescher was propelled to stardom with her memorable role as Fran Fine, the witty nanny with the undeniable Queens accent who charmed her way right into the hearts of TV-watching Americans. During the run of “The Nanny” through 1999, Drescher was nominated for two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, and went on to work more in film and television on projects such as “Picking up the Pieces” in 2000 co-starring Woody Allen, “Living with Fran” in 2005 and voicing Pearl in “Shark Bait” in 2006.

Today, Drescher is happily engaged in the second season of TV Land’s “Happily Divorced” as the show’s creator, executive producer and star. The peppy sitcom about Fran Lovett, an L.A. florist who discovers after almost 20 years of marriage that her husband Peter (played by John Michael Higgins) is gay, is actually inspired by Drescher’s real life experience with Jacobson, who also created and executive produces the show and remains good friends with Drescher in spite of their divorce. In addition to her active career, Drescher, a survivor of uterine cancer, fiercely commits herself to saving lives by promoting the prevention and early detection of cancer as the president and visionary of the “Cancer Schmancer Movement” and through “Trash Cancer” parties, which teach people how to detoxify their environments and reduce the risk of cancer by nixing the toxins found in everyday items around the home. In fact, Drescher, a Democrat, was appointed as a US diplomat in 2008 under President George W. Bush’s administration, gaining the official title of Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women’s Health Issues, an honor she embraces seriously, helping women around the world take charge of their health.

Hey Fran! Happy New Year and how are you?

I’m well! Thank you and happy New Year to you! How are you guys doing over there in New Orleans?

We’re doing great, just looking forward to a fabulous new year! So you are a uterine cancer survivor, and you have not rested on your laurels when it comes to being active, vocal and successful with turning pain into purpose and progress, so thanks so much for the inspiration. 

Thank you, Christine. That’s the thing: pain is pain and everybody is faced with some challenges. It’s very important to try and make sense out of the senseless, and we need to try to turn pain into purpose, which is a life lesson that I’ve learned.

You are the president and visionary of the Cancer Schmancer Movement. Please tell us all about it and about the Trash Cancer parties because they sound like perfect ideas for kicking off a healthy new year.

We are an organization that works mostly in prevention, early detection and policy change. The best cure for cancer is not to get it in the first place. It seems that over 90% of cancer is environmental and the most toxic place we spend the most time in is our home. We can take the bull by the horns and effectively reduce our risk of cancer by making healthier choices. Trash Cancer parties are kind of like a spin on Tupperware parties, only instead of selling plastic, we recruit a host or hostess and send them all the information and samples they need so they can effectively throw a little gathering with their family and friends. It’s a fun way learn how to detox the home, make healthier choices and exercise the power of consumerism, and in so doing, give a loud message to manufacturers that we’re interested in buying products that are carcinogen free, toxin free and organic. You can find out more about it on www.trashcancer.org or you can go to our parent website, www.cancerschmancer.org. You can also plug in products you’ve used all your life and see how they rate it in terms of toxins. Take the “Check, Choose and Change Challenge,” and you might have to replace an item in your home or in your personal care items, or a food you eat or your gardening and cleaning supplies. You have to make healthier choices to decrease your risk of cancer by living a more toxin-free life. You can also sign up to get emails from me talking about what’s happening and imparting more information and reasons to motivate yourself and your family to tackle cancer.

You’re getting the message out about having more of a partner-type relationship versus a parent-child type relationship with your doctor. 

You know, doctors are very busy people. They tend to be bludgeoned by insurance companies to go the least expensive route of diagnostic testing. They have a fast turnover to cover their own insurance and malpractice expenses and many of them subscribe to the philosophy “If you hear hooves galloping, don’t look for a zebra because it’s probably a horse.” But if you happen to be a zebra, you’re in trouble. It took me two years and eight doctors to get a proper diagnosis of uterine cancer and by the grace of God I was still in stage one. I feel like I got famous, got cancer and lived to talk about it, so it’s become my life’s mission. Bad things happen to good people. How we go through them is what makes all the difference. If you catch cancer on arrival, you have a 95% chance of survival. The reason we lose loved ones to cancer is almost always due to a late-stage diagnosis. You have to recognize the early warning whispers and know the tests available so you can be better partners with your physician. Don’t go into denial, because you want to stay alive and well.

It is remarkable that you are a US diplomat and a special envoy for women’s health issues. The fact that you’re helping people to prevent and detect cancer must mean a lot to you. 

You know, it’s an amazing experience. I have the benefit of being recognizable, so people stop me and share their story and say: “Because of you or your book ‘Cancer Schmancer’ or your organization” or “I heard you on this TV show or this radio show or read this interview, I stopped being in denial, I made that appointment and I’m alive today!” No one has a crystal ball, and that’s another life lesson, because you could get very mired down in thinking “It wasn’t supposed to be this way; why did this happen to me?” But eventually you have to play the hand that’s been dealt you and play it as courageously and elegantly as you can.

What should women focus on with their healthcare providers regarding prevention and detection of cancer?

Definitely request a transvaginal ultrasound to get a better picture of any abnormalities that may be in the uterus or around the ovaries. I don’t think that the archaic pelvic exam—you know, sticking your fingers up the vaginal canal and pressing the abdomen—is really going to let you know what’s going on. And you know what ladies? The Pap test does not go north of the cervix! It’s a worthwhile test but you also need to get some clue as to what’s going on in your uterus and ovaries because ovarian cancer goes undetected and over 80% of women find out in the late stages and over 70% of them die. For whatever reason, the medical community confuses classic uterine cancer symptoms at their earliest and most curable stage with early menopause symptoms. At its earliest and most curable stage, ovarian cancer, which is a much more aggressive, fast-growing cancer, is often misdiagnosed for irritable bowel syndrome!

Women need vocals like yours for their own health. Your work is really impressive. 

Thank you, Christine. I really appreciate that. We have to take control of our bodies. We have to become medical consumers. People put more energy into buying, selling and repairing automobiles then they do their own bodies! When a doctor tells you that you have cancer, at the end of the day he goes home and has dinner with his family and you go home and eat your heart out with yours. It’s your life, take control of it. Be smart, it’s the 21st century. Let go of those old school ways that aren’t serving you anymore. We live in a toxic world and you have to know what’s going on. Go to your doctor and get an annual transvaginal ultrasound, even though it won’t be on the menu! If something looks abnormal around the ovaries, ask for a CA-125 blood test. It’s not a perfect test but it’s all that’s out there. Insurance companies wait for perfection before they start doling out bucks for tests. In the meantime, take advantage of what’s available. Use your Christmas savings account for tests insurance won’t pay for because the best gift you can give your family is a long and healthy life.

So true! Because it’s not just the person with cancer that’s affected; loved ones suffer too. 

Women need to keep themselves alive. The ripple effect is devastating to our immediate family, our extended family, our community. Also: each one teach one! I talk to you, you write the article, your readers read it and they talk to others.

Have you felt better physically since you embraced a vegan lifestyle? 

I definitely feel better eating a predominately vegan diet. I went to traditional doctors and each doctor gave me a different prescription for the same symptom until I finally threw them all away and started going alternative. One of the first pieces of advice I got was to start eating plant based: clean out your system, clean out your liver. Now I am plant based, gluten free, histamine free and alcohol free and that’s helping me to feel really well. If somebody wants to have some animal protein, they should do so sparingly and it should be very pristine, organically grown meat, fish or fowl. What we all need to do is start buying food from local, organic, sustainable farms. The way we are mass-producing food right now is not in the best interest of our health, the land or the animals that we slaughter. At the end of the day, it’s not sustainable.

People love your show “Happily Divorced” on TV Land, a laugh-out-loud comedy about a woman who, after 18 years of marriage, is told by her ex that he thinks he’s gay, and which is actually inspired by your life. Tell us how it made perfect sense to craft a sitcom inspired from the situation you went through with Peter after you divorced.

Yes, it is inspired by my own life, so it resonates in a very real, honest and humorous way and people seem to love it. It’s on right after “Hot in Cleveland” on TV Land. I always like to do comedy that’s rooted in a real place and gets its origins from an actual experience. I just thought that the relationship between a divorced, middle-aged, single woman and her gay ex-husband was fresh, hadn’t been explored before on television and was something we could write about because we have first-hand experience.

On this season of “Happily Divorced,” Peter gets a job working as an assistant to Joan Collins, who plays a fictionalized version of herself. What other stuff are you excited about this season?

I’m think I’m most excited about the fact that the season is arcing around Fran being engaged to be married. And the guest stars just keep it so exciting! We have Molly Shannon, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Collins, Ralph Macchio and more. We‘re also introducing a new neighbor: a very sexy, British rogue of a man. I think that it’s going to be a very fun, big season. I’m looking forward to it and I think that the audience is going to eat it up with a spoon!

Tell us a little more about the great work your cousin is doing in the New Orleans area rebuilding houses with Project Home Again.  

I’m very proud of my cousin Erica. She’s a great girl and talented in many ways. She’s also vegan, a great chef and a great stylist. Now she’s ventured into the world of philanthropy and being a great do-gooder, which is very near and dear to my heart. At the same time, she feels she’s contributing to the greater good by helping people who lost their homes during Katrina to acquire new ones. I applaud her for that. The Buddhist monks teach us that the happiest people are those who are making other people happy. People who try to make themselves happy are never as happy as those who help others. Making other people happy has the silver lining of making you very happy and I think Erica has come to love it as well. She’s very happy helping the people of New Orleans.

Tell us what you love about New Orleans. 

I have always loved New Orleans and have always had a great time when I’ve gone down there. I love the people and I have friends down there. I love the climate, the music, the food and the vibe of the place.

What makes you laugh these days?

What makes me laugh? Well, always Peter, my parents, being with friends, the ironies of life. I see the humor in what happens naturally in life. I love a good comedy. I love the comedy we’re doing with “Happily Divorced.” Once in a while I really enjoy watching comedy in movies and on television in projects other than my own. It always feels good to laugh out loud; that’s what we strive for on “Happily Divorced.” It’s a good feeling to be lighthearted. I think there is an art and a practice to living a joyful life.

Fran’s Top 10 Must-Have Things to Make Life Easier and Healthier

1. Nearest and dearest friends and family
2. Esther (Fran’s adorable Pomeranian!)
3. Art
4. Music
5. Fresh flowers
6. Nature
7. Waterpik
8. Fresh organic food
9. Paris
10. Good health

A river runs through New Orleans, but with the Mississippi largely hidden from view (except at a few places such as the Moonwalk and the Fly), it’s easy to forget how much this natural resource contributes to the city’s economy. The Lower Mississippi is the nation’s—indeed the world’s—busiest waterway in terms of ocean vessels, seeing more than 6,000 annually, and the Port of New Orleans is the cornerstone of all this activity.

“We’re coming off two record years, and it looks like we’re about to have a third,” said Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans. “We’re breaking a ship-call record that hasn’t been touched since the 1890s.”

The current bustle at the port is particularly impressive considering that in 2005 Hurricane Katrina destroyed one-third of its infrastructure ($100 million worth of damage), disrupted ground transportation links and upended employees’ lives. As with New Orleans as a whole, after the storm some people recommended writing off the port entirely.

But the port did more than get back on its feet. It came back better. It continues to invest in growth, including $300 million worth of improvements in 2012 alone. A number of factors have contributed to the success of the last few years.

“A lot has to do with the growth in container shipping, which is a strength of the port,” LaGrange said. “Cargo that wouldn’t have been shipped in containers twenty years ago is today. That business doubled from 2009 to 2011. And in 2011, an agreement between major container shipping companies had them move their business to us from Houston.

“In addition, the cruise ship industry has taken off,” LaGrange continued. “We run 24,000 passengers every weekend, which is tantamount to a major convention. Many of these tourists buy packages that include nights in New Orleans hotels, so our tourism industry benefits. It’s even going to get better when a new cruise terminal opens at Poland Avenue.”

When people refer to the Port of New Orleans (as opposed to New Orleans as a port city), they’re talking about the entity encompassing the docks and infrastructure related to maritime trade and activity. While the port owns the physical assets, it operates mostly as a landlord and leases these assets to private enterprises. The facilities are in demand because of the port’s developed infrastructure and unparalleled location.

“It’s a unique port. There’s no other like it in the United States,” LaGrange said.
“You can reach 33 states on the water without ever touching land. All six big trunk-line railroads are here and 75 truck lines call into port. If we’re not working, retail shelves around the country would be empty.”

The Port of New Orleans doesn’t handle all of the activity on the Lower Mississippi. In a 290-mile stretch from Baton Rouge to the mouth of the river, there are five ports with different specialties. For example, grain shipments are a focus of the Port of South Louisiana. The Port of New Orleans handles a third of the cargo in this part of the river, but it’s by far the most valuable cargo: 80% of the total value.

The organization directly employs about 300 people. LaGrange said some 63,000 people work for the port’s corporate lessees, and over 300,000 more jobs can be attributed to port activity. “These are good jobs, not minimum wage jobs,” he pointed out.

LaGrange spends his time promoting the port, interacting with customers and public officials and keeping an eye on funding. “Even though the port is a public entity, we operate it on what we make over the docks,” he said. “Houston has an ad valorem tax they receive from the county. I have to say I’m envious. We have no tax basis.”

LaGrange grew up in St. Mary Parish, which is on the Gulf, and grew familiar with New Orleans through frequent visits to family members. He worked his way through college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette by playing trombone in R&B bands with names like the Tempos, the Dynamics and the Roller Coasters. (LaGrange says he still loves the music but gave up the instrument.) He earned a bachelor’s in economic geography and a master’s in urban planning, and although he didn’t have an inkling of where his future career would lead, he wrote a paper on the Tchoupitoulas corridor and how to keep port-bound trucks out of the Garden District.

Other aspects of his youth foreshadowed his career. When he was a child, his father, who served as president of the St. Mary Parish Council, used to complain that the parish needed a port. He spoke of the issue so much that the boy grew tired of hearing about it. But decades later when LaGrange was working for a regional planning commission in Lafayette, St. Mary’s Parish officials consulted him on building a port. They eventually offered him a job, and he spearheaded its construction.

“That was a fun experience. It gave me the chance to be creative,” he recalled. “Then I moved to the Port of South Louisiana, where I learned the deep draft side of the industry, and when Gulfport called, I learned the container side, which South Louisiana didn’t have. Now I’ve been at the Port of New Orleans for 12 years. When this job opened up, it was a dream come true.”

Friday, March 8 – NOMA Exhibition Opening
Portrait of Faith: John Paul II in Life and Art
Organized by the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, this exhibition, which marks 25 years since Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to New Orleans in 1987, celebrates his life through sculpture, photography and video. For more information, visit www.noma.org

Saturday, March 9 – Louisiana Oyster Jubilee
This fairly new local festival was founded by New Orleans Musical Legends Inc. and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board in 2007. The entire 300 block of Bourbon Street celebrates the almighty mollusk with local restaurants like Antoine’s, Bombay Club and Desire Oyster Bar teaming up to create the World’s Longest Oyster Po-Boy! For more information, visit www.OysterJubilee.com

Friday, March 15 – Lark in the Park: Cabana Nights
Get into your cocktail attire to attend the Friends of City Park’s fabulous gala to celebrate the creation of a Cabana Plaza in the new Splash Park coming to New Orleans City Park. The gala will feature food from 40 of New Orleans’ top restaurants and festive libations by Republic National Distributing Company. Visit www.friendsofcitypark.com for more information.

Friday, March 15 – Jim Monaghan’s Annual Irish Parade from Molly’s on the Market
Featuring local celebrities and musicians in mule-drawn carriages, this annual parade makes a large circle that both begins and ends at Molly’s at the Market on 1107 Decatur Street. For more information or to sign up for a membership and roll in this year’s parade, please visit www.MollysattheMarket.net

Friday, March 15 & Sunday, March 17 – “Samson and Delilah”
The New Orleans Opera Association presents “Samson and Delilah” in French with English supertitles at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. See the Bible come to life! Tragic hero Samson is enticed by the bewitching Delilah to give up the secret of his strength. In the end, his strong faith grants him the power to free his people. For tickets and more information, visit www.neworleansopera.org

Saturday, March 17 – Downtown Irish Club Parade
First organized in 1976, the annual downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade begins on the corner of Burgundy and Piety in the Bywater, proceeds roughly up Royal, across Esplanade to Decatur and up Bienville to Bourbon. The parade makes several “pit stops” on its way to Bourbon, including Markey’s Bar on Louisa Street, Bud Rip’s Bar on Piety Street and 13 on Frenchmen Street.

Wednesday, March 20 to Sunday, March 24 – Fashion Week New Orleans
Fashion Week will include a “Top Design Competition,” a “Fashion Industry Career Day” and a “Bridal Showcase” in addition to nightly runway shows featuring local and regional designers. Over 50 runway shows during the five-day event serve as a platform for Southern designers, make-up artists, hair stylists and models to bring a new level of creative consciousness to the regional industry. For more information, visit www.fashionweeknola.com

Wednesday, March 20th to Sunday, March 24 – Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
In honor of the great playwright, Tennessee Williams, New Orleans explodes with literary panels, master classes, theater, special events like “Stella” and “Stanley” shouting contests, walking tours, food events and musical performances. This year’s festival promises a line-up that includes four Pulitzer Prize winners: author and judge of the fiction contest, Michael Cunningham; playwright, Marsha Norman; journalist and novelist, Leonard Pitts and Oscar-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley, plus Emily Mann, director of the recent all-black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” on Broadway. For more information and tickets, visit www.TennesseeWilliams.net

Friday, March 22 & Saturday, March 23 – Hogs For the Cause
Hogs for the Cause is an annual finger-lickin’ fund-raising festival featuring a pork BBQ cook-off and plenty of live music. The purpose is to provide aid and relief of those variable expenses and economic burdens that families face while their child is being treated for pediatric brain cancer. Currently, Hogs for the Cause operates as the premier funding source for pediatric brain cancer outreach services in the United States and has given grants to over 40 families in need.

Saturday, March 23 & Sunday, March 24 – Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival
The Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Louisiana and the influences from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America that combined to make New Orleans a melting pot of world culture. The festival will take place at the Old U.S. Mint on Esplanade Avenue and Decatur Street.

Saturday, March 23 & Sunday, March 24 – Nola Food Festival
“Celebrate and Savor” the diversity of our nation’s food at the Nola Food Festival! The popular festival has moved the festivities to the French Market, which means room for a whole lot more food and fun! From a huge crawfish boil featuring endless crawfish and a “whole-hog,” cochon de lait barbeque to a beignet-eating contest, this will be one festival you won’t want to miss. For more information, visit www.NolaFoodFest.com

Mitchell Gaudet’s glass creations have been well respected and admired for decades by tourists and locals alike. His work is alive with color and—dare I say it—funk! Gaudet casts glass into the shapes of found objects that often times reflect iconic imagery of the city. His water meter symbols, fleur de lis and voodoo dolls are popular sculptures for Gaudet’s business, Studio Inferno; though he finds inspiration in current events and has a passion for unique projects as well.

“I don’t react politically about these things, but it’s an important component of my work as an artist or interpreter to be able to translate my thoughts through my art,” Gaudet said. “For instance, I’m trying to build a samurai suit out of uranium glass, and that’s based off of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. I feel like the armor is something that protects you, but is also killing you.”

Gaudet designs his shows around a specific theme or idea, and many of his shows use found objects as the motivator or the impetus of the pieces. Like many artists, color is one of the elements that Gaudet finds most seductive in his work. But, perhaps his infatuation with colors in glass has something to do with the sheer purity and vibrancy that each color evokes, and the beautiful imperfections that his sculptures can sometimes impart.

“I find importance in the material of glass because of its transparency, the subtle power of certain colors, its seductiveness and its ability to pick up textures. I embrace the imperfections of the material; it’s so weird to see something that we perceive as fragile, cool and slick to be moved and molded as a liquid. Everything about glass is sort of foreign to most people.”

Gaudet’s method of glass work is called glass casting, which uses hot glass—glass heated in a furnace— to sculpt or pour into a cast or mold. Though the art of glass sculpting is unique, there seem to be an infinite number of ways in which to manipulate the product: techniques such as glass blowing, which involves the use of a blow pipe, kiln cast work, lamp work, cold work and many others.

“These techniques used to be much divided among academia, but now many schools with these programs are teaching all of these techniques and then letting their ideas drive which area they want to work in.”

Gaudet discovered his own love for glass sculpting through an elective course in stained glass during his undergraduate years at LSU, where he was pursuing a degree in psychology. Sitting in his office now, it’s evident that Gaudet followed the right calling.

“My professor in that course saw stained glass as painting with light. When I took that elective, I never even thought of art as a career. There was just a good mix of people in this class and I found the art form very liberating, exciting and what I wanted to do. It was also a program where working with clay, working with metal and print making were all accepted, which, I think, was a pretty healthy approach to art.”

Gaudet grew up in the Ninth Ward in a blue collar background where working with your hands and physical labor were necessary, but were also just what you did in day-to-day life. Now, years later, Gaudet hasn’t strayed far from his roots, but his labor has become a labor of love.

“My dad was a carpenter, a great mechanic and a fixer of stuff. I think there’s a basic human need to make things, so growing up in a household where we were always building something and then to shift into this idea-based creativity is very intoxicating for me.”

Gaudet’s work can be found at Studio Inferno at 3000 Royal Street in the depths of the Bywater. His cast sculptures of colorful glass are solid and familiar, much like Gaudet, the Bywater and New Orleans itself.

“I find it very interesting when I have a problem or a challenge with art. To be able to solve it in a creative way is exciting for me.”

THE CONTESTANT: BONNIE GRIFFIN
At 64 years old, Bonnie Griffin of Picayune, Mississippi feels as though she is just beginning a new life. She spends time with her grandchildren, does low-impact exercise and mows her lawn—activities typical of a woman her age, but ten years ago, behaviors as basic as these would have been a great physical strain or downright impossible for her.

Biggest Loser
Does Bonnie looks familiar? She was one of fifteen contestants competing in Season 12 of the televised weight loss challenge: “Biggest Loser.” “Everyone thought I was going to go home the first week,” she said of the experience. Bonnie surprised everyone by making it through nine episodes, but she asked to be voted off the show so that another contestant could continue. “When people ask me if I was the winner, I say I was a winner. No amount of money could buy the way I feel right now.”

“When someone you love is in pain, you don’t think of yourself”
Besides her participation on “Biggest Loser” and her continued exercise regimen after the show, Bonnie underwent two knee replacement surgeries that proved to be instrumental to her life-altering weight loss. Bonnie suffered from arthritis in both knees, a condition that was both precipitated and exacerbated by her lifelong struggle with her weight. This situation reached a threshold during the eight years that she cared for her husband while he fought cancer. “I could barely get myself in and out of a car,” she recalled. “When someone you love is in pain, you don’t think of yourself. I took care of him and failed to take care of me.”

One Step Forward, One Step Back
A year after her husband passed away, Bonnie decided she had had enough. She consulted orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Richard Meyer, in New Orleans. “After having the surgery and going through physical therapy, I was able to do everything I wanted to do,” she said. However, six months before trying out for “Biggest Loser,” she began to experience pain in her other knee. When she could barely walk on it, Bonnie went back to Dr. Meyer, who confirmed that it was just as bad as the left knee had been before her surgery.

Decision Time
Bonnie did not make the cut for that round of “Biggest Loser,” but in the meantime she opted to try Weight Watchers and lost 50 pounds in six months. Eventually “Biggest Loser” called back and asked Bonnie if she would try out again. She found herself caught between two desires: having a second knee replacement surgery and participating in the show. “I figured that if I was lucky enough to get on the show, I would suck up the pain and go on and do what I had to do to lose the weight,” said Bonnie. That is precisely what she did. Though she struggled through exercises that called for the use of her knee, she pushed herself to perform and lost 77 pounds in the nine weeks she was on the show. Upon elimination, Bonnie scheduled her surgery. “I recuperated so much faster from the second surgery than I did with the first because of the weight I’d lost.”

A Second Chance at Life
Keeping the weight off is admittedly no easy challenge for Bonnie, but she is fueled by the mobility she has experienced with her new knees. “The weight loss was a fundamental change,” she said. “But it was the knee replacement surgeries that completed my second chance at life. ”So many things about Bonnie’s life are different now, but she points to something most of us take for granted as one of her biggest accomplishments: “I used to have to use the full strength of my arms to get up stairs. If I saw a stairway in my path, I would feel dread, but now I can simply walk up stairs like everyone else.” Just three weeks after her second surgery, Bonnie was able to participate in a Down syndrome awareness walk in New Orleans with her family, including her grandson, who has Down syndrome. “He is my heart,” she gushed. This annual walk is the activity she most treasures.

Had I Known Then
Bonnie was recently included in a nationwide educational campaign developed to inform and encourage those struggling with severe joint pain to consider joint replacement surgery. Visit www.HadIKnownThen.com to read inspirational journeys from Bonnie and other patients whose lives have been changed by joint replacement.

“I want people to realize that just because you get older, that doesn’t mean you have to stop living. I choke up when I think about my mindset back then; that I thought I was in the last years of my life. I’m 64, but I feel like I’m 50, and I can do things now that I couldn’t do when I was 40.”  

THE SURGEON: DR. RICHARD MEYER
The arthritic knees that plagued Bonnie have unfortunately become a common malady in the United States—particularly with the increase in the senior population—and knee replacement surgery is now the most frequently performed joint replacement surgery in the US. The increase in obesity rates compounds the problem, as being overweight aggravates underlying arthritis and makes surgery more likely at a younger age. “The force through your hip or your knee is two to three times your body weight, so if someone is just 30 pounds overweight, it’s 90 pounds of extra force,” explained Dr. Richard Meyer, the orthopedic surgeon who performed Bonnie’s surgeries.

“Like flying an airplane under the control of a computer”
The use of computer-assisted technology for knee replacements became available in 2005, and it introduced a level of precision previously unknown. “The more precise the cut, the better aligned the replacement knee will be,” explained Dr. Meyer, adding this analogy: “It’s like flying an airplane under the control of a computer.” He was quick to adopt the technology and was the first Louisiana physician to utilize it for knee replacements. Additionally, he is the only orthopedic surgeon who is fellowship/specialty trained in hip and knee reconstruction/replacement at Touro Infirmary, where he is also a clinical instructor of this technology. In addition to computer navigation, he employs less invasive surgical techniques and custom cutting guides based on a CAT scan image of the knee. These techniques allow him to avoid cutting into the quadriceps and tendons, eliminate some of the drilling into the bone, minimize blood loss and make for a faster surgery.

Pain Management
Bonnie’s case is not unusual. Patients 60 and older often have to have both knees replaced. “If one knee bothers you more, you don’t notice the pain from the other knee,” said Dr. Meyer. Of course, before he considers surgery, Dr. Meyer has several other methods for alleviating knee pain, such as medication and injections like hyaluranoic acid, which acts as a lubricant for the knee.

Advanced Hip Replacement
Dr. Meyer is also an expert in hip replacement surgery, and is trained in the latest technique: total hip arthroplasty using a direct anterior approach. “I went to California to train with a specific doctor to learn how to apply this technique to total hip replacements, and I’ve done 250-300 of these procedures since.” Performing the hip replacement from the front of the body as opposed to the traditional entry points through the side of the hip and buttocks, allows Dr. Meyer to separate the muscles without cutting them. The results are a faster recovery, a more stable prosthesis, and no restrictions for patients post-surgery for what they can and cannot do. Dr. Meyer also serves as a clinical instructor for the anterior approach total hip procedure.

Experience Matters
One of the most experienced orthopedic surgeons in the area, Dr. Meyer has performed thousands of successful total hip and knee replacement surgeries using computer technology. With fellowship training in sports medicine, he also specializes in alleviating athletic injuries using techniques like arthroscopic knee surgery. He has served as team physician for various college and high school athletic teams. Dr. Meyer works in both New Orleans and Metairie, at Touro Infirmary’s Joint Replacement Center and Crescent City Surgical Center, a private surgical facility.

For more information about joint pain treatment, including a surgeon locator and seminar details, visit RealLifeTested.com.

“What Bonnie underwent is a life-changing surgery. From a patient standpoint, it’s about quality of life. If you reach a point where you’re in pain, can’t sleep at night, are not able to socialize or go out or do certain activities you are used to enjoying—that impacts your quality of life.”

Centuries later, regions from around the world make their own varieties of sparkling wine. Many consumers mistakenly refer to all sparkling wines as Champagne, though that label really only describes grapes grown in a specific French region

We’ll start there, and then go around the world to bring you other regional styles of sparkling wines:

Champagne

Often considered the gold standard among sparkling wines, Champagne’s carbonation is naturally produced in a lengthy, in-bottle, secondary fermentation process known as the méthode champenoise (also called the “traditional” method). This method involves infusing sugar and yeast into wine; when the yeast consumes the sugar, it creates carbon dioxide, which in turn creates carbonation. Its exacting, extensive production (and social cachet) makes Champagne a more expensive sparkling wine.

Recommended:
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut
Hints of toast and biscuit accent lightly honeyed flavors of quince, apple blossom and peach.

G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge
Soft and fruity, creamy with brioche, stonefruit, mandarin, mineral and spice.

Prosecco

This Italian’s carbonation is completed in tanks rather than individual bottles, making the sparkler a less expensive option. Tank fermentation also supports bottling at different stages of fermentation, which means prosecco can come in varying states of fizziness.

Recommended:
Flor Prosecco
Dry mineral palate accompanied by plenty of fresh fruit flavors.

Riondo Prosecco Spago Nero
Effusively fruity and light bodied, offering terrific floral notes and persistent effervescence.

Cava

White grapes from the cool Rioja and Catalonian regions of northern Spain fuel this style of sparkling wine, which generally has a perfumed, floral nose and acidic fruit palate (sweetness varies between brands). Makers use the méthode champenoise, giving it the same tight little bubbles you see in Champagne.

Recommended:
Jaume Serra Cristalino Cava Brut
Pale and creamy with citrus and apple flavors.

Poema Cava Brut
Layers of flavor include orange rind and spice that persists through an elegant finish.

Muriel’s Jackson Square
Located on the corner of historic Jackson Square, Muriel’s has become a dining destination, especially during the holidays when they offer affordable prix fixe menus. Guests continue to rave about signature dishes like Shrimp & Goat Cheese Crepes, Pecan-Crusted Puppy Drum and Pain Perdue Bread Pudding. Lunch and dinner offered daily; jazz brunch on Sunday.

(504) 568-1885, 801 Chartres Street, www.muriels.com

Arnaud’s
One of the “grande dames” of New Orleans, Arnaud’s has been serving classic Creole cuisine since 1918. Open for nearly a century, this well-known eatery still impresses guests today with dishes like Crab Claws Provencale and Speckled Trout Meunière. Dinner offered nightly; jazz brunch on Sunday.

(504) 523-5433, 813 Bienville Street, www.arnaudsrestaurant.com

Tujague’s
Pronounced “two-jacks,” this Creole restaurant is the second oldest in the city. Located directly across from the French Market on Decatur Street, Tujague’s unassuming style is popular with both locals and tourists. On New Year’s Eve, you can enjoy four courses starting with Shrimp Remoulade and finishing off with Banana Bread Pudding. Open nightly for dinner and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

(504) 525-8676, 823 Decatur Street, www.tujagues.com

Morton’s, The Steakhouse 
This Chicago-born steakhouse chain is immensely popular down here in New Orleans thanks to the perfectly cooked steaks and mouth-watering sides it serves up. Located at One Canal Place close to the Mississippi River, Morton’s offers a New Year’s Eve menu featuring dishes like Baked Five Onion Soup, Double Cut Pork Chop with Scampi Butter and Key Lime Pie. Open for dinner nightly.

(504) 566-0221, 365 Canal Street, www.mortons.com

Cafe Adelaide & Swizzle Stick Bar
Named after Adelaide Brennan, who is recalled by family members as “Auntie Mame and then some,” Cafe Adelaide has come to symbolize the good life and vivacity as reflected in its namesake. Chef Chris Barbato has created a holiday menu with dishes like Louisiana Blue Crabmeat & Caviar, Pork & Foie Gras Dumplings and Chocolate Caramel Doberge Cake. Open for dinner nightly, breakfast daily and lunch Monday through Friday.

(504) 595-3305, 300 Poydras Street, www.cafeadelaide.com

Bombay Club Restaurant & Martini Bar
Swanky and sexy, the Bombay Club is both restaurant and bar, and brings the feel of a British gentleman’s club to the corner of Conti and Toulouse Streets in the French Quarter. Executive Chef, Ricky Cheramie, a beloved local hailing from Lafourche Parish, offers a menu featuring ambrosial dishes like Crispy Popcorn Sweetbreads and Grilled Swordfish with Shrimp Boulette. Open for dinner nightly.

830 Conti Street, (504) 586-0972, http://www.thebombayclub.com/index.html 

The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel 
Recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the most delightful fine dining establishments in New Orleans, The Grill Room possesses a certain unsurpassed elegance that is bound to impress. Recently appointed as the new Executive Chef, Kristin Butterworth offers a delectable menu featuring dishes like Braised Pork Belly and Apple Tarte Tatin with Rum Raisin Ice Cream. Open daily for breakfast and dinner; lunch served Monday through Saturday.

(504) 523-6000, 300 Gravier Street, www.grillroomneworleans.com

Martinique Bistro
Mere blocks from Audubon Park & Zoo on Magazine Street, Martinique Bistro is a quaint Uptown restaurant serving an eclectic menu that leans mostly toward French cuisine. In the courtyard, a small fountain plays softly while diners delight in dishes like Prince Edward Isle Mussels “Cotriade Bretonne” and Seared Sea Scallops with citrus-squid ceviche and an edamame-cilantro puree. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday; lunch on Friday; brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

5908 Magazine Street, (504) 891-8495, http://martiniquebistro.com/

Bayona
Distinguished by Conde Nast in 1993 as one of the top places in the nation to dine, Chef Susan Spicer’s flagship restaurant is still an immensely popular spot located inside a 150-year-old Creole cottage in the French Quarter. Bayona’s signature dishes include Veal Sweetbreads and Sautéed Pacific Salmon.

430 Dauphine Street, (504) 525-4455, www.bayona.com

SoBou
The newest branch of the Commander’s family of restaurants, SoBou is inspired by the old Absinthe House with the addition of mind-blowing cuisine. Toast the New Year with well-crafted cocktails by mixologist Abigail Deirdre Gullo and delightful dishes from Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez including Flounder Carpaccio, Local Honey & Butternut Squash Soup and Coquito Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

(504) 552-4095, 310 Rue Chartres, www.sobounola.com

Top Ten Spots for a Memorable Midnight Make-Out on New Year’s Eve

10. In the middle of Frenchmen Street with music pouring out of the clubs and onto the pavement

9.  In front of Popp’s Fountain in City Park

8.  Strolling along the Riverwalk while watching the river roll by

7.  Inside Preservation Hall while enjoying the smooth sounds of jazz

6.  On the rooftop of the historic Hotel Monteleone

5.  Riding the St. Charles Streetcar as it clatters toward the Riverbend

4.  Secluded in an intimate corner of one of the French Quarter’s many lush courtyards

3.  Riding through the Vieux Carre on a horse-and-buggy made for two

2.  Aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen as it glides down the mighty Mississippi River

1.  In front of the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square

Even the fittest can treat themselves without sacrificing the hard work put in the rest of the year. Read on for tips and strategies for overcoming the angst so that you can go ahead and celebrate!

Simple strategies for dining out: 

• Start off right. Begin your meal with a nice warm broth-based soup, preferably one with plenty of vegetables. This is a great low-cal, nutritious way to take the edge off of your appetite so you will consume fewer calories in the main course.
• Downsize. Try an appetizer portion of your favorite entrée. In most restaurants, this represents the proper portion size. You should still steer clear of heavy sauces and fried items.
• Be choosy. Instead of an alcoholic beverage, appetizer, bread and dessert, select only one.
• Split an entrée with a friend. It’s best to stick to a lean protein and vegetable, and substitute a starchy side like mashed potatoes for an extra veggie.
• Beware of preparation methods. Chefs like to use added oil and butter and lots of salt to enhance flavor. Don’t be shy about asking for your dish to be prepared without added oil or butter. Seemingly healthy dishes such as sautéed eggplant can actually be a diet saboteur as some vegetables (leafy greens included) soak up extra oils, thus piling on the fat and calories. Ask for olive oil on the side and drizzle sparingly on dry vegetables. As a rule of thumb, order steamed vegetables instead of sautéed when available to avoid unwanted grease.

Tips for noshing at cocktail parties:

• When perusing the buffet table, stick to antipasti, vegetables and lean proteins. Beware of pasta dishes (usually very saucy), casseroles, fried or breaded items. It may be on a cocktail-sized plate, but a spoon or two of a few of these sides can quickly pile on more fat and calories than that chocolate cake!
• Select salsa as a dip. It typically consists only of tomato, onion, pepper and garlic, so it’s super low in calories. Limit chips; try dipping veggies.
• Shrimp cocktail is a great option. It’s low in saturated fat and calories, and is loaded with belly-filling protein. An added bonus: shrimp contains zinc, which enhances immune function, critical during the height of cold and flu season.
• Enjoy one to two ounces of cheese (approximately four cubes) and a little fruit instead of crackers.
• Fill your plate with crudités (a fancy word for cut-up vegetables). Enjoy a little hummus, but limit to no more than a few tablespoons as it’s high in calories and carbohydrates. A little ranch dressing is even okay; it helps with the absorption of some of the vitamins in the veggies.
• Try chicken satay or kabobs.
• Edamame is a good choice as it is loaded with fiber and protein.
• Some lower-calorie cocktail options: 5-6 ounces of red or white wine; a light beer or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor are each 100-120 calories. A few other fun and low-cal drinks: green apple martini (about 150 calories; go lighter on the syrup to further slash calories); infused vodkas have added flavor with no added calories; try on the rocks or mixed with club soda; a five-ounce bloody mary (120 calories); champagne (100 calories) or a mimosa (75 calories).

Bottom line: the holidays give us countless reasons to overindulge, but remember that our stomachs can hold more than we need. Listen to your body and stop when you are satisfied; do not wait until you are full. As always, choose one indulgence, not all of them. If you suddenly find yourself on the dark side, don’t beat yourself up. Just get back on track for your next meal or do a few extra miles on the treadmill.

On a beautiful October evening, 1600 people of all ages convened on the rooftop of the East Jefferson General Hospital Esplanade Garage overlooking the entire city of New Orleans and beyond to sample beers and listen to the spirited tunes of some of New Orleans’ most iconic bands. The event caused such a scene that an extra $5000 in ticket sales came from those sold to people who saw and heard what was happening from down below, and couldn’t resist coming up to check it out.

The “scene” that caused such a commotion was the Up on the Roof event, the beer-tasting extravaganza that has grown exponentially each of the six years it has been put on by the Foundation at East Jefferson General Hospital. The event was presented by Crescent Bank and Trust, and this year it raised an incredible $135,000 to support the hospital’s community healthcare efforts.

The climax of the event was the presentation of a $1 million check to Dr. Mark Peters, President and CEO of EJGH. The gift represents a third of the $3 million raised over the course of a three-year capital campaign. This disbursement will kick off expansion and modernization of the MD Anderson-affiliated Outpatient Oncology Infusion Center at the Yenni Treatment Pavilion. The newly renovated center is slated to provide the ultimate in patient care, with expanded space for both patients and accompanying family members and inclusion of physician offices and a dedicated pharmacy that will greatly reduce waiting time.

“I could not be prouder of the generosity of our capital campaign donors and the entire community for making the commitment to keep world-class cancer care right here at EJGH,” said Carolyn Chassee, CFRE, President and CEO of The Foundation at EJGH.

About The Foundation at East Jefferson General Hospital 

People are not always aware of the financial needs of a hospital. For most of us, hospital visits are infrequent, so the institution is not top of mind on a daily or weekly basis like a school or a church might be. Because EJGH is a community owned, not-for-profit hospital, it relies heavily on philanthropic support to provide the highest quality, compassionate healthcare.

The mission of The Foundation at EJGH is to generate philanthropic support for the hospital through education, communication and active ambassadorship to the community. “The Foundation at EJGH has always provided vital support to our hospital and has been a driver for improvement throughout our history,” said Dr. Peters.

Opportunities to give are plentiful. Benefactors donate individually, corporately or by sponsoring. Some designate their gifts for a specific initiative or campaign, while others give in honor or memory of a loved one. In addition to Up on the Roof, The Foundation hosts two popular spring fundraisers: the Lympho-Maniac 70’s Party and the EJGH Foundation Golf Classic.

For more information, call The Foundation at (504) 780-5800 or email foundation@ejgh.org.

I love giving gifts and I love receiving them. Bright paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things. What I adore about a gift is that is someone took time, the most precious commodity, to choose something just for me. Even more so than receiving shiny parcels, I love discovering the ideal something special for my family and friends. The ultimate gift does not have to be extravagant, but should be something that makes the receiver feel valued or will make his or her life easier or more enjoyable.

When prepping for the gift-giving season, I make my list, check it twice and know what all the females, tweens and toddlers in my life will receive. However, when it comes to unearthing the ideal gift for my menfolk, this stylist is stumped. Fortunately, I have found a few elves around town to assist in this gender-specific conundrum. The subsequent suggestions of where to shop have in common impeccable customer relationships, unique items and specialty services that will make any husband, brother, boyfriend, boss or uncle feel appreciated.

Fit for a King

Henry Torrence is a menswear boutique that specializes in bespoke clothing. “Bespoke” is an English term most commonly used in men’s fashion that simply means “custom made.” To have an item made in bespoke fashion means that everything about the piece, from the fit to the design to the fabric, was chosen at the discretion of the customer or buyer. There is a high degree of selection and involvement regarding the features and production of the garment, both by the tailor and the customer. The shop is owned and operated by Henry Torrence himself and has a full line of men’s bespoke suits, jackets and dress shirts. Torrence carries only fine Italian fabrics and uses top-rate tailors. For those in need of immediate gratification, the shop also features handcrafted ties, luxurious wool socks and cashmere in many forms.

Henry Torrence
2036 Magazine Street
(646) 922-8463
Get your Shine On

Tucked in the back of Henry Torrence’s bespoke clothing shop at 2036 Magazine Street is Patina Shoe Parlor. Owner and cobbler by accident, Alexander Bourne, started shining shoes after he purchased what he thought was just a “really cool wood box” at a garage sale. Upon a twist of fate, Bourne had a gala to attend one evening and his shoes were in dire need of a polish. Something tempted him to open that interesting container and since then this 22-year-old English and pre-dentistry major from Minnesota has been buffing and shining away. What sets Bourne’s work apart from other local craftsmen is that he does pick-up and delivery from your home or office. Bourne will gladly come to your closet or place of business and shine all your shoes, take away any worn-out handbags and briefcases and return them as good as new. He can make your pocketbooks and fancy shoes appear as if they just came out the box.

Patina Shoe Parlor
2036 Magazine Street
(504) 920-9167
www.patinashoeparlor.com
Rooted in Tradition

At NOLA Fashion Week I came across a menswear line called Tradition by Laurence Kennedy.  Kennedy, the designer, draws inspiration from East Coast academic apparel and adds a modern twist. Tradition is reminiscent of prep school aesthetics (think vintage Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger), yet has subtle details that make each item current and unique. The genius behind this clothing line is how men across generations can wear Kennedy’s pieces. Tradition has sophisticated jersey pullovers ideal for cooler temperatures that are equally stylish over a dress shirt or a tee for a casual brunch. The line also features an array of bow ties in non-traditional fabrics such as corduroy and chambray. Sleek oxfords and jackets are also available for purchase.

Tradition by Laurence Kennedy
www.traditionlk.com
facebook.com/traditionlk
chris@traditionlk.com
(504) 884 9414

If it Ain’t Broke

Tried and true. You can never go wrong with the selection and service at Rubenstein’s. The staff has perfected the art of selling men’s fashion to every male regardless of his size, shape, fashion sense or lack thereof. Rubenstein’s is not your grandfather’s store. The staff—from James, your complimentary valet on Canal Street to Allison Marshall, Rubenstein’s marketing director— truly understand the psychology of the modern male shopper. The store caters to all men, from the most discriminating fashion-forward clothes horse to the man who believes anything other than a football jersey is “dressed up.” If you are on the verge of a gift-giving crisis, call Rubenstein’s salesman extraordinaire, Kelly Doyle, to come to your rescue.

Rubenstein’s
Corner of Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue
(504) 581-6666

http://rubensteinsneworleans.com/

Wishing all my well-heeled elves very merry shopping!

The Saints have a running game again, they have a defense again and they are relevant again.

Facing a row of likely playoff teams in San Francisco, Atlanta and New York, with the last two on the road, leading into the first week of December the Saints and their fans will know a great deal more about whether a team that started 0-4 could ever possibly dare to hope to make the playoffs. Only one team in history, the 1992 San Diego Chargers, has ever managed that feat, but otherwise most teams who have plummeted to the Saints’ early season nadir could never hope to so much as peak over the playoff horizon by this point in the schedule. Ironically, the Saints’ winning ways commenced with beating the Chargers in the Super Dome and they now face a very competitive NFC that will hardly allow so much as more than one more loss, perhaps, in the season’s stretch run if any hope of the post-season can be imagined.

The first key has been, and must continue to be, the improved running game. Presuming they remain healthy, Mark Ingram has rapidly approached becoming the team’s lead back, superceding Pierre Thomas by upping his carry load from a typical five to seven carries to twelve to sixteen per game and his average from the sub-three yards per carry range to well over four yards per carry. Against Oakland, Ingram burst out around the left end for a 27-yard touchdown which may represent his finest run as a Saint. However, the Saints’ most dynamic runner in terms of dangerousness or ability to score from anywhere on the field continues to be Chris Ivory. Ivory’s electrifying 56-yard run against Atlanta in the Super Dome seemed to singlehandedly start the Saints’ engine in not only defeating the Falcons in an all-time franchise classic, but also in propelling their hopes for a legitimate playoff run. At that moment a new Saints offense was born in which the team’s tandem of Ingram and Ivory, spelled by the explosive and versatile Thomas, could legitimately run for over 150 yards per game and leave defenses guessing, thereby allowing Drew Brees the necessary freedom to work his amazing football magic downfield. Just imparting the knowledge upon opposing defenses that the Saints are not only determined to run but also capable of doing so successfully gives Brees crucial breathing room as defenses cannot simply rush in breakneck blitzes in an effort to suppress his aerial attack. The results were staggering as the Saints ripped off a 5-1 record in the middle of the year.

The improved running game has also allowed the Saints’ defense to gain some much needed rest on the sidelines. As their offense’s drives become more prolonged with a successful run game, the Saints defenders have more time to gather their strength and rest before the next series.  Meanwhile, given the extra rest, the defense has also been gradually comprehending defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. Overall, the statistical reality has been quite ugly all season long: the Saints have been last league-wide in yards allowed per game, last in time of possession, second to last in passing yards allowed per game and last in rushing yards per game.  In statistical terms, this defense is worse than the Saints all-time worst defense, that of the 1-15 1980 team, and not only that, it also ranks among the worst in the history of the league.

Yet the attitude of the defense is worlds away from any such losing teams they may be ranked with as increasingly sacks, turnovers and key game-changing plays have been building in their favor. The Saints have edged into the positive side of the turnover ratio (takeaways versus giveaways), they are now in the top half of the league in third-down conversion defense and they have returned to their once hyper-aggressive ball-hawking style that proved to be such a potent mix in combination in with the offense from 2009-2011. Cameron Jordan, Curtis Lofton and Malcolm Jenkins are becoming defensive stars in this league. Even though that may seem contradictory on such a statistically porous squad, their big plays and key red-zone stands in marquis games have left a mark on not only football audiences, but also on opposing coordinators who are left wondering how their teams could pile up so many yards and yet come away losers.

Finally, Joe Vitt has done a superlative job under the most difficult of circumstances. Managing a team faced with towering psychological and emotional challenges, both in-season and off-season, not to mention actual roster changes and a new defensive coordinator. Vitt stepped in as the league’s only interim head coach in history who also had to step down, leave the team altogether, then return to replace his own assistant who had been the acting interim (for the other interim) head coach. If the Saints make the playoffs, Vitt deserves to be considered as Coach of the Year. At a minimum, Winston Churchill’s maxim, “Keep calm and carry on,” echoed in the Battle of Britain, could certainly encapsulate the amazing continuity, constancy and consistency Vitt has shown through these difficult times. Wins like the upset over Atlanta in the Dome can only be experienced when a team and its fans have crossed through the most desperate of times and emerged on the other end having survived what others (and maybe even they themselves) said they could not. It is only in such moments that one realizes that the tough times are to be appreciated for the opportunities they present. The season is not over, the fight continues, carry on.

In early November, Coy found himself happily back at work in New Orleans about to start filming the five-episode fourth and final season of “Treme”—although life away from home in Los Angeles just got a whole lot tougher now that Coy has to leave his wife and their newborn baby girl! But it’s for a good reason; “Daddy” feels proud of his work in helping to tell an important story through his character on “Treme,” which continues to explore the life and culture of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. “New Orleans Living” caught up with Coy in between his shooting schedule and time spent with his precious little girl, Veronica, for a cool conversation right before he embarked for New Orleans to film, and invariably enjoy, more of all that this decadent city offers.

Hey Chris! How was the reception for you as the only new regular cast member working on “Treme” with this gang that has been together for several seasons

It was scary for me because of exactly what you said: not only are you going into a job where everyone’s been working together really tightly for years, but it’s also a show that’s full of incredibly talented actors. Here comes little 25-year-old me who’s only been working professionally for four years now. I was terrified! I was also pleasantly surprised; I showed up and was welcomed with open arms. I don’t think they knew that I was a Southern boy, so I showed up and they were like, “You want us to show you around and tell you what the south is all about?” I was like, “C’mon baby, I grew up down here!” It was a lot of fun.

Being a southern guy, had you spent much time in New Orleans before you worked on “Treme?”

I had been there a bunch; my older cousin played baseball for LSU so we’d go there for games all the time and, of course, stop by New Orleans. It’s a totally different place before you’re 21. All the times I had been were when I was in high school. It was a different atmosphere; I wasn’t able to do what New Orleans encourages you to do, which is to let loose and get down. But I came to New Orleans to do a movie called “The Culling” a month or two before “Treme.” 

That’s the horror movie out next year … What is your role in “The Culling?”

The movie is about a group of kids who are on their way to South by Southwest, the music festival, and they get sidetracked and wind up on the outskirts of New Orleans. I play one of the kids, Hank, who’s kind of the level-headed one. In the script they describe him as being “too smart to be hanging out with these kids, but they’re the best he could find.” I’m the one who, when there’s someone banging on the front door and the lead guy is like, “Let’s go upstairs,” I’m like: “What? No! Upstairs where there’s no way out? Let’s run out the back door!” Of course I’m ignored, but I had a lot of fun. We shot that in St. Bernard Parish at an old plantation home where “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” was shot, and a couple of other really good horror movies. The house is supposedly really haunted. Fortunately I didn’t have any scares!

That’s a good thing! So the writers on “Treme” created a fictional point of view for your character L.P. Everett, who is based on the actual journalist A.C. Thompson, even though the arc of the character is consistent with his work …

Yes, exactly. A.C. consulted on the show and with the writing, but I’ve never crossed paths with him. I don’t know if it’s just bad timing, but there would be days where I would come to set and say, “When am I going to get to meet this guy?” and they’d say “Oh, he was here yesterday … just left an hour ago!” I was told that they didn’t want me doing an impression of A.C.; they wanted me to make the character based on the information they were giving me in the script because it’s loosely based on him. That being said, I still looked up interviews with him and read every piece he’s ever written and tried to put as much of it together on my own as I could, but I didn’t really have to do much. The writing is so good and they pay so much attention to detail, especially when it comes to character development. The work was done for me and I’m just kind of a talking head and now I’m gloriously getting all the credit, which is awesome! (Laughs).

Take that and run! (Laughs). You are passionate about this particular role you play and the work you’ve done on “Treme.” It really is an amazing story about uncovering the heinous acts that happened in the Henry Glover case.

Exactly. And it’s sad that they’re only now being uncovered. I speak for myself as well; I’m a self-professed Southern boy and my family in Gulfport was affected by Katrina, but I didn’t know about A.C. Thompson and I certainly didn’t know about the Glover family. I knew about the Danziger stuff, but I didn’t know anything about this family or the numerous other families with members who were just classified as “missing” or as “undetermined deaths” or weren’t even classified one way or the other—just no investigation whatsoever, they’re just gone, vanished off the face of the earth. As human beings, we need closure, one way or another, and it’s awful that a lot of these people were denied that. And you’re right, I’m extremely passionate and proud of something that brings those things to light.

You’ve only been working for about four years as an actor, so you may not get much choice with roles, but I’m guessing you were probably naturally drawn to this particular role on “Treme.” 

Oh, absolutely. This is the type of work that I want to do. I want to do action stuff and fun stuff too, but maybe the most important job of an actor or a filmmaker is to be a storyteller. Some stories really need to be told, not just to inspire people to do better, but also to spread the word and connect us, like me who didn’t know the story of these people and the atrocities that happened, as well as the positive things that have happened on the show. I think it’s important to connect us with that. We’re all students of human nature; that’s why we watch television and movies, because we want to see things happen to other people and imagine them happening to ourselves.

Another cool role you’ve played is Barry on “True Blood …”

That was actually my first job ever. Before that, all I’d done was a small role on an episode of “Numb3rs,” and after I finished filming it, I left for a meeting for “True Blood,” and I booked it. That was another one where I was terrified going into the room; of course I walk in and there sat Alan Ball! The guy created “Six Feet Under” and “American Beauty,” one of my favorite movies ever … No one told me, “One of your idols will be sitting there so make sure you entertain him!” (Laughs). I was really shaky but it all ended up working out. I’ve been really fortunate; I don’t know that I was the best actor to walk in there, but I was certainly the most nervous, and that just happened to be the kind of character they were looking for. They wanted Barry the bellboy to be kind of a coward, but then in time he becomes a hero of sorts. Things just worked out, and I haven’t looked back. I try not to think of it too much. I’m worried I’m going to wake up!

(Laughs). And you are so young in your career, that’s wonderful. The world is your oyster! Plus you just got to work in Hawaii filming “Hawaii Five-0;” how fabulous!

Aw, thank you, Christine. And then Hurricane Sandy pushed the airing of my episode of “Hawaii Five-0” because they were covering the storm. Like we were saying, some stories are more important than others!

You played David Riley in “Little Birds,” which will be released in January on DVD. 

Yes, that’s a beautiful movie. It went to Sundance. It’s tragic, too, but it’s a great story and one that should be told. I play a street kid. They don’t really touch on this much in the film, but David was an orphan and kind of bounced from foster home to foster home until he ran away to the big city of L.A., where he was just another kid on the streets, trying to survive and doing what he could to appear strong and to be as strong as he could be. As lots of us do, he made some bad decisions, but … I don’t want to dive too deep into it. I’d really love for people to see it and see what happens. It’s the story of our director, Elgin James, who also wrote the film.

You have plenty scenes on “Treme” with Oscar-winner Melissa Leo. Your character has helped her character, Attorney Toni Bernette, with the Henry Glover case. How is working with Melissa?

Oh, what’s a good word … educational? She’s so quick on the uptake, and she can come in with clearly polished character choices and the whole scene rehearsed the way she thinks it should be approached, and then a director has a very clear idea of how he or she wants that scene played out and will throw that out at her, and it can be the exact opposite of the way she was thinking, but she’ll take a minute and then it’s done. I’ve never seen anybody who can work that way. So it’s kind of mind blowing working with an incredible actor like that. It was an education—you know you better step up your game! (Laughs).

Have you become a Saints fan yet?

Of course! If you’re in New Orleans for more than a couple of days, it’s hard not to become supportive of the city in every way possible. I definitely became a Saints fan, which is something I needed to do. I had gone a while without really having a team I was completely devoted to, and there’s nothing like Drew Brees to motivate you to get behind him!

Have you loved chowing down on New Orleans food while working here? 

I grew up on Southern cooking, so it was a reminder that this is what food is supposed to taste like. I can’t wait to get back and eat! You can’t find anything like it in L.A. It’s not that I don’t like Los Angeles’ approach to dining, but dare I say, it can be a little pretentious. New Orleans has got the right angle on it: throw everything but the kitchen sink in there, spice it up and it’ll be delicious! (Laughs). When my wife and I were pregnant, I was in New Orleans shooting. She gained 25 pounds and I gained 40! (Laughs). I don’t know whether to blame it on New Orleans food or hormones!

Your self-description on your Twitter profile, @MrChrisCoy, is “Risk-takin’, baby-makin’, booty-shakin’, make believer” (Laughs). Let’s break this down … and tell us all about your little girl! 

(Laughs). Yeah! My wife came up with that description of me; it’s pretty much all I do. Our newborn is three months old but she’s going on twelve! It’s happening way too fast. She’s my little angel. She smiles and melts my heart. She’s starting to giggle, and she’s just amazing. It’s so hard to even talk about her—I just turn to mush! Her name is Veronica. She’s a little beauty. It’s just a new motivation. There’s no turning back; I have to work hard. I have more to worry about than just myself. The booty shakin’ is really my grandmother; she instilled in me a bunch of soul growing up, and we danced all the time and I’m a lover of good music. If you walked into my house, nine times out of ten, I will be dancing! (Laughs). Especially with the baby, you do whatever you have to to keep her calm and happy. A lot of it has been just holding her and dancing around the house—she loves it!

No doubt you’ll pass on your love of music and dancing to your daughter … 

I love every style of music. I grew up on old soul and blues and R&B—Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Fats Domino. We had Fats Domino on one of the episodes this season! It was so awesome, all of us in his house. It was just … surreal. We’re talking to Fats Domino, and he’s singing “Blueberry Hill” for us! I watched that episode with my grandma and my mother via Skype. I could hear my grandmother singing and laughing, she just couldn’t believe it. Did you see it?

Yes! I was wonderfully shocked to see Fats singing on “Treme!” It’s cool that the show captures live music, which is rare in film and television. That must be great to witness that sort of stuff as part of the “Treme” cast. 

It’s unbelievable. I’m not in that scene and I wasn’t even working that day, but I was up at 6 a.m. to catch the van from the hotel to the set because you just have to get up early and go watch Fats Domino play live when you have the opportunity to do so!

An early Thanksgiving means a long holiday season, and keeping a tree fresh throughout is not an impossible task, but it is a touch demanding.

“New Orleans Living” caught up with Peter Perino, owner of Perino’s Garden Center, just as he was negotiating a delayed shipment of trees due to the warm weather on the West Coast. Perino’s has been keeping gardeners, landscapers and those like me with “black thumbs” in trees, shrubs, and flowering bushes since 1955.

Peter offered this advice on how to make your greens last longer:

Wait until the end of the first week of December to buy your trees and garlands.
Make a fresh cut at the end of the trunk so the tree can drink a bit more.
If you can, put the tree in a bucket of water and let stand in the shade for a few days before bringing it inside.
Frequently mist your tree and make sure there is water in the tree stand at all times.
Keep your greens in cool, moist places for as long as possible.
Mist greens, garlands and wreaths daily unless they are exterior decorations and it has been raining a lot.

Why They Dry
Exterior decorations are exposed to light, heat and humidity, among other things. Interior decorations are subject to everything from drafts to the constant switching of air conditioning to heat. In fact, no matter what, once a tree or ropes of greens are cut, they will dry out, which is why you should mist, mist, mist.

Origins Matter
Fir trees are long lasting and smell extraordinary. The Noble Fir is a strong, sturdy tree and doesn’t shed as quickly as other types.
Trees and greens from Maine should be good and moist—perhaps the only positive effect of Hurricane Sandy and the Nor’easter that dumped early snow on them.
You want your greens cut and shipped as close to the time you are going to put them out. Ask your salesperson, and if he or she doesn’t know, ask the manager.

Have wonderful holidays. Enjoy your tree, garlands, etc. and, if they are not flocked when the season is over, recycle them !

Perino’s Garden Center
3100 Veterans Boulevard
Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 834-7888
www.perinos.com

. The dance company, founded 42 years ago by Tina Ramirez, is the oldest in the country devoted to exploring the diversity of Latin culture. The upcoming show includes a tribute to Tito Puente, a number featuring the work of Celia Cruz and a finale, Club Havana, which highlights Cuban dancing.  Accompanying the troupe is its longtime collaborator, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. There will also be public dance performances at various locations on December 5 and 6, featuring members of the company and local dance students; workshops for metropolitan-area students December 5-7; a Latin Dance Party on December 7 and a master class on December 8.

Eduardo Vilaro started out as a dancer with the company in 1985, and in 2009 returned from Chicago, where he headed Luna Negra Dance Theater, to serve as artistic director when Tina Ramirez retired. I recently spoke by phone with Vilaro about the company and its upcoming show in New Orleans.

Ballet Hispanico is the oldest dance company of its kind.

It was started to give voice to Latino artists, so we’d have a voice at the table instead of being stereotyped in the work we did.

How has the mission evolved as the position of Latinos in this country and their ability to have a voice has improved?

Certainly the demographic shift is huge. Instead of fighting for the voice, we have the voice. We understand where our place is, and now we have to be leaders [in the cultural community].

I’m impressed with the educational outreach your company does.

If you’re an artist, you’re an educator. There’s no way around it because you’re sharing and expressing your love for the art. Tina, the founder, started this company after she started the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance. Education has always been part of the fabric. Many students are on scholarship because we really try to serve the underserved. Also, we have students who might not look like your typical ballerinas but who have the dream and the drive. We also have teaching artists going into the schools and developing tailor-made workshops.

You’ll be working with students in New Orleans?

We’ve already been working with them. This summer, I sent three dancers to the NOBA summer intensive and they taught choreography and technique. Recently, I sent the rehearsal director to teach some of those students actual sections from our repertory.  They’ll be performing with us at some of the community events happening in the city.

Ballet Hispanico first performed in New Orleans in 1992. You started out as a dancer      there in 1985. Were you with the company when it visited New Orleans?

I was and I loved it. New Orleans has a very special place in my heart . . . I’m Cuban and [New Orleans] has a special Cuban feel with the music and culture. Every time I go there I feel very much at home. Also, I love the relationship we’ve built with New Orleans Ballet Association. It is so dedicated to children. It is a perfect marriage between the two organizations because so are we.

After dancing with Ballet Hispanico, you left to run Luna Negra. What was it like to return as Ballet Hispanico’s artistic director?

Sometimes it feels very surreal. I know the company at its very core, as a dancer. As someone who’s so dedicated to the founder’s vision, coming back, [my question is] how do we move that vision even further? It’s a huge task, but there are exciting challenges and brilliant opportunities available to us. Who we are as Latino representatives is going to be important to all communities who work with us.

Tell me about your collaboration with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

We’ve worked with them for quite some time. [Artistic director] Arturo O’Farrill is a wonderful artist and collaborator, so it’s great that we’re able to bring him and them along with us . . .We are dedicated to having live music at our performances. In Latin America, every song has a dance, every dance has a song. It’s a marriage that’s very important.

What can audiences expect from your show?

I love and hate using this word, but there’s a lot of passion. It’s subtle and up front.  There’s a lot of athleticism in the movement because there are a lot of interesting choreographers using new vocabularies to express Latino identity and traditions. So there’s a lot of wonderful experimentation in that sense. Everyone will find something in here because it’s an interesting program with live music and ranges from the very traditional feel to something that’s more contemporary.

To reserve tickets for Ballet Hispanico, call (504) 522-099, ext 201 or visit qww.nobadance.com

–DIANE SUSTENDAL

It’s tough to get people to be proactive about their health.

“Some people only think about insurance when they get sick or have an accident,” said Roderic Teamer, Sr., of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. “We have programs like the Louisiana 2 Step campaign that encourage people to exercise more and eat right. We want everyone to get regular check-ups so doctors can catch diseases early when they’re easier to treat. If you look at these issues through the lens of diversity, it’s important that everyone gets the same message.”

Recently promoted to Director of Diversity Programs and Business Development, Teamer has taken charge of Blue Cross’ diversity programs. These duties are joined to his role of bringing new insurance customers into the Blue Cross fold, typically through employers and HR departments.

“From a marketing standpoint, we want the community to know how much we do in the area of diversity,” he said. “Diversity makes good business sense. It matters to people and can help tip the scales in our favor.”

Blue Cross currently supports a number of diversity initiatives, and an important one concerns the recruitment of a diverse workforce within the company and in health insurance sales. Blue Cross also sponsors monthly celebrations to highlight the different heritages of its employees. One program might focus on African-American history, while another highlights Hispanic culture.

“The goal is to help people understand that although we have different backgrounds, our similarities are greater than the things that separate us,” Teamer said. “The differences in our culture are what make us a stronger workforce.” In the same vein, to increase diversity in its supplier network, Blue Cross looks for opportunities to work with minority and women-owned businesses.

The company also wants to make sure that it is offering its health insurance products to as many people as possible. That goal involves focusing on health issues that particularly affect minorities, such as preventable cancers, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Blue Cross supports organizations, programs and events that call attention to these medical problems and that promote healthier lifestyles.

One more thing Blue Cross does is encourages doctors and hospitals to be “culturally competent,” which means they should have the facilities and resources to serve people from different backgrounds. For example, New Orleans has a large Vietnamese population, whose older members may not know English, and some members of the African-American community by nature are not comfortable with doctors. Teamer said Blue Cross works with local medical communities to overcome these barriers.

Since he joined Blue Cross, Teamer’s business development role has led to his involvement with many community and civic organizations. He has been active with organizations such as the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Covenant House and Daughters of Charity. This is familiar ground for him, since the roots of his career are in the nonprofit sector.

Teamer spent a dozen years working as a fundraiser for United Way and later spent about the same amount of time serving as the executive director of a small nonprofit called Inroads, a career development program for minority students. “That was an enjoyable job,” he recalled. “I got to see young people transform from high school students with potential into successful professionals in the workplace.”

Because Inroads was small, Teamer wore many hats, handling everything from mentoring young people to troubleshooting computers. Moving to Blue Cross, with over 2,000 employees statewide, was quite a change because employee roles are more specialized. Teamer now draws on his experience in sales, marketing, building relationships and networking.

Teamer grew up in Gentilly close to the Dillard University campus where his parents both worked. He knows he benefited from spending his formative years in an academic setting, but when it came time to go to college himself, he wanted to get away. “Going to Dillard would have been the same as staying at home. Everyone knew me there,” he said. “But no one knew me at LSU. I wanted to have a different experience. I wanted to make it on my own.”

Teamer finds himself in Baton Rouge a lot again these days, frequently commuting to the Blue Cross corporate headquarters. Thanks in part to the building’s visibility and its large number of employees, Blue Cross has strong brand recognition in the capital city. By contrast, the New Orleans staff is smaller and tucked away in an office tower. So Teamer’s diversity programs and involvement in the nonprofit world serve to raise the company’s profile in the local New Orleans community.

The frequent commuting to Baton Rouge hadn’t been great for his health, and in his new role of encouraging healthy lifestyles, Teamer has been taking his own message to heart. He started a personal fitness program and has lost 30 pounds by working out and eating better, including healthy snacks as he travels in the car between Louisiana’s two largest cities. Teamer aims to practice what he preaches. He needs to be proactive about his health too.

–HENRY ALPERT

Photo: Skip Bolen/Getty Images for Samsung

What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name unless a real legacy stands behind it. In a time of turmoil for the New Orleans Saints, and by consequence for the passionate fans who support them, the glow fades from past parades, and the cheering dims a little, so that something more can be gleaned from the multi-billion dollar business that is the NFL. At the center of the Saints’ Sisyphean struggle to overcome the myriad bizarre obstacles put forth by their own league, before them stands Drew Brees—signed to a huge contract, cast at the forefront of the players’ labor struggle and echoing fan and player sentiment in the replacement referees controversy, not to mention fathering a burgeoning family of three very young sons. Brees shoulders attention, responsibility and burdens that would challenge any man’s capacities.

Somehow, in the midst of all this, Brees and his wife Brittany make huge strides in accomplishing something real and lasting beyond the weekly scores and blaring ESPN highlights by successfully managing The Brees Dream Foundation. Most recently, Brees has been busy using his fame to encourage corporate responsibility locally. The Brees Dream Foundation has partnered with Samsung Hope for Children and Best Buy to contribute $300,000 over the course of 2012 to children’s organizations throughout the country. The donation will provide funding for educational programs, in particular giving these programs access to technology through the use of digital televisions, notepad computers, educational applications and online textbooks

As Brees himself recently explained at a press conference to announce the initiative, “The goals of this donation are aligned with the foundation’s mission to promote children’s education and to provide children with every opportunity to have a healthy and active lifestyle.” Utilizing his personal influence and goodwill, Brees approached companies such as Samsung and Best Buy to “take the success they have from a business perspective and direct that towards philanthropic efforts.” His personally delivered pitch resonated with both companies: Samsung pledged to donate funds locally via the Brees Dream Foundation, and through October 13, local Best Buy outlets will devote a portion of our purchase proceeds from sales of Samsung products to the foundation.

On a beautiful September day at the Saints’ practice facility—a Monday, which is typically a day off for nearly all NFL players—Brees and fellow Saints players Chase Daniel and David Thomas dedicated their free time to play football with children from the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana. It was a day that the children would certainly remember for the rest of their lives, and Brees had more good news to deliver to the organization: the first chunk of the $300,000 donation—$30,000 total in cash and technology—would be granted to the Boys & Girls Club.

The Brees Dream Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need. The foundation, and one day spent by a very busy and heavily burdened man among and for children, is a striking reminder that while every person works, learns and plays, there is yet even more to life, a legacy of what one has given, privately and publicly, in charity, in time, in participation. While money, wisdom and memories fade, the lasting impression of any person is that permanent imprint he or she has pressed into the lives of those around them, leaving the world a better place than how it was found. Winning and wealth simply do not compare.

-PAUL WEGMANN

Nothing blackens a name like ink from the pen of a fool. By the end of 2012, that maxim could apply to a lot of articles that have been written about the Saints in the “bounty” postmortem. But those articles were written when Drew Brees was on the figurative bench, and to see the effect of leadership, look no further than the streets of New Orleans when the announcement that Drew Brees had re-signed with the Saints riveted up, down and across hallways, walls, and every avenue, boulevard and alleyway in town. People cheered, high-fives were exchanged between friend and stranger alike and a page has since been turned: New Orleans is ready for the season to begin. The NFL’s all-time leading single-season passer is back, a fact that weighs on the rest of the league akin to the bully who looks to see that the kid he’s been picking on for four months brought his big brother this time.

Because since March of this year, when Commissioner Roger Goodell’s office started the drip-like release of reports and penalties for the Saints’ alleged infractions in 2011, national commentators have been roundly predicting a decline for the Saints. There may be several well-grounded reasons for that, not least of which is the absence of Sean Payton in the crafting and executing of the game plan from Day One of the offseason through the final minute of the final game, but it would be wrong to exclude the factor of wishful thinking on the part of those very same prognosticators. Over the last three years, the Saints have won 38 games, including a championship; they have gone 24-3 in meaningful home games; they have obliterated offensive records, including most points at home, most yards gained, passes completed, pass completion percentage, passing yards, first downs and first downs passing; and they’ve managed to repeatedly embarrass some of the league’s most prominent franchises while making a mockery of its promoted goal of parity.

And therein lies a problem for 2012: no matter how many games the Saints win, Joe Vitt will not be named coach of the year; no matter how many records he sets, Drew Brees will not be named NFL MVP; and no matter how good their behavior on the field, or how many of the commissioner’s rulings and statements are overturned or refuted, no one–not the press, nor league officials, nor fans in other cities–will avail themselves to internally or outwardly cheer for the Saints. What is more, observers of the NFL should have learned by now that every bit of information, from every formal statement to every last leaked rumor from this commissioner’s office has been designed to create maximum public impact. Given the way that the reports and details emerged (and in some cases, which details have been withheld) regarding the Saints’ alleged improprieties, one possible conclusion could be that the intention has been to not only render a report and levy fines and suspensions based on the facts, but also to halt the very momentum under which the franchise has been surging for these past three years. Because after all, if a team were to win after such an impressive demonstration of power and official condemnation, then the final lesson would be one quite different from the one the league initially intended.

And with Brees again in the fold, the Saints’ chances of doing just that are quite good.  The first seven games on the schedule feature six teams who finished without a winning season last year, and the two best teams: the Chargers and Packers, must come to New Orleans, which is a great boon as well. Do not be surprised to see at least three games with sixty total points in the Dome in this first half of the season and players like Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham spiking the ball in the end zone one or two times each per game. While the offense’s talent level seems fairly stable with the additions of Ben Grubbs and Nick Toon replacing Carl Nicks and Robert Meachem, the defense, which lost two starting linemen (Franklin and Rogers), a starting cornerback (Tracy Porter) and two starting linebackers (Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Jonathan Vilma), suffered severe attrition. Yet much as in 2009, the defense will have to make the difference in a potential Super Bowl run. If new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can generate improved schemes with less predictability, more sacks and quarterback pressures, better technique, more turnovers and better prevention of big plays (such as in the playoff losses to the Seahawks and Niners in 2010-11) from newcomers Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne, Chris Chamberlain and Broderick Bunkley along with recent draft picks Cameron Jordan, Patrick Robinson and Akiem Hicks, then the early season schedule and the Superdome’s incredible home-field advantage will provide terrific leverage for the Saints to host the NFL’s first home championship since after the 1965 season. Needless to say, the spectacle of the now-hallowed Pete Rozelle handing the Lombardi Trophy to the outlaw Al Davis in 1981 would look like a spring picnic in comparison to the reception the present-day commish would receive from a fairly agitated, lubricated and vindicated Big Easy home crowd in championship mode.

-PAUL WEGMANN

Every Halloween, kids across the country head out for trick-or-treating and the amount of sugar consumed can be frightening! Children love the sweets associated with this festive season, so a little indulging is inevitable (even nutritionists’ kids eat candy!).

Is there any way to cut back without being a monster? While we don’t want to spoil the fun, we can set limits. Reduce your kids’ sugar rush by following a few tips to help make this a healthier Halloween:

• Feed them a nutritious meal before going trick-or-treating or at least a small, healthy meal when they get home from school on Halloween. If they hit the streets hungry, they will only feast on more candy.
  • Limit the number of homes to lessen the amount of candy. You may want to set a time limit or agree to trick-or-treat on a certain number of blocks in your neighborhood.
  • Reduce additional sugar in the house by getting rid of sugary cereals and sodas since you know they will be eating more candy than usual over the next several weeks.
  • Establish a rationing system. Allow your kids to select two to three pieces of candy per day. Pair the candy with a healthy snack or a glass of milk or water.
  • Practice out of sight, out of mind. Instead of letting your kids keep the candy in their bedrooms, keep it in a kitchen drawer so you can supervise when it is eaten. Most kids, especially younger ones, will forget about the candy after a few days. This will be another opportunity to throw out candy or donate to a local school or shelter. For older kids, offer to buy back some of the candy.
  • Buy your candy at the last minute. Storing candy for Halloween in the house ahead of time will cause everyone to eat more even before the trick-or-treating begins.
  • Encourage healthier candy selections. Snickers, Peanut M&M’s or any chocolate candy with nuts are more filling, as opposed to candies that are nothing but sugar, and the nuts provide a little protein and heart-healthy fat. Dark chocolate is an added bonus—it packs healthful antioxidants and the rich taste will typically stop you from over-indulging. Discourage brightly colored candy like Skittles, Gummy Worms, Candy Corn and Starburst; while these choices are sometimes lower in calories and are usually fat-free, they don’t provide any nutrients—just pure sugar. The sugar surge spikes blood sugar levels, followed by a drastic drop that leaves you feeling fatigued and usually hungry for more.
  • Try a few lower-sugar options like sugarless gum (it’s still gum; they won’t know the difference) or individual bags of pretzels, peanuts, popcorn or trail mix.
  • Think outside the candy box. Explore party supply and dollar stores for alternative treats to pass out on Halloween, such as small yo-yos, stickers, temporary tattoos, bubbles, bouncy balls, crayons, crazy pens or pencils or trading cards. Since kids will already have an overwhelming amount of candy, they may appreciate a toy.

The bottom line: Let kids enjoy Halloween and have fun, but set a few limits to prevent hyperactivity, stomachaches, trouble sleeping and of course, so many extra, empty calories.

For more information, contact registered dietitian, Elesha Kelleher, MPH at (504) 842-6096 or ekelleher@ochsner.org.

The Creole and Cajun cuisines that have made New Orleans’ food world famous, while delicious and undeniably unique, have never been considered light. Maybe not even healthy. Yet, in recent years, New Orleans’ food landscape has expanded dramatically, and now includes a wealth of healthy options, from vegetarian to vegan, and even occasionally catering to the “raw food” trend.

I spoke with Gena Hamshaw, certified clinical nutritionist and the powerhouse behind Choosing Raw, an exceedingly popular blog about raw food and veganism. Gena explained how her venture took root: “I had been a vegan for several years when I became interested in raw food. I’d search raw food blogs for recipes, but most called for a myriad ingredients, time-consuming preparation and special equipment. I kept thinking ‘I could never do this.’ I was working full time, going to school at night and like most young professionals in New York, I was on a tight budget.”

Gena realized that perhaps there were others like her, seeking a way to reap the health benefits of a raw food diet, but in a way that could be incorporated into a busy lifestyle. “I wanted to show that it could be realistic,” she said. Her hypothesis has proven correct: Choosing Raw gets hundreds of thousands hits per month. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal,” she recalled. But it was a big deal, and her venture quickly began to change and take on a life of its own. “My visitors started to guide the blog’s content, which was really great because it expanded my interests as well,” she said. What began as a raw food blog now includes veganism and other health-related topics.

A Vegan Navigates the Crescent City
Though she is currently studying medicine at Georgetown, Gena is a frequent visitor to New Orleans because her best friend now lives here. This begs the question: how and where can she eat in a city steeped in a rich food culture, but one so incongruent with her lifestyle? Gena explained: “New Orleans is an eclectic melting pot of a city and people have a serious love of food. Particularly over the last few years, I’ve seen that there are many more restaurants in Nola offering vegan and raw options.”

Before you ask, vegans can drink. There are many vegan wines and beers out there, and Gena advised checking www.barnivore.com for an extensive list (Abita beers made the cut). The good news? “Most hard liquor is vegan,” she said.

Gena’s Nola Survival Guide

Carmo
A tropical café with a menu dominated by vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes
527 Julia Street
(504) 875-4132

Green Goddess
Try the daily vegetarian soup or sample the raw and cooked veggies paired with an assortment of exotic salts and spices
307 Exchange Alley
(504) 301-3347

hey!cafe
An artsy coffee shop that serves a revolving assortment of vegan baked goods like the popular pumpkin-raisin muffin, as well as lunch options such as a vegan-patty burger and a vegan grilled cheese
4332 Magazine Street
No phone

Maurepas Foods
Choose from a variety of inventive salads and vegetarian sides from the ever-changing seasonal menu 3200 Burgundy Street
(504) 267-0072

Satsuma Café
In addition to fresh-squeezed juices, healthy options, such as the quinoa salad, can easily be made vegan with a few substitutions
Two locations:
Bywater: 3218 Dauphine Street
(504) 304-5962

Uptown: 7901 Maple St 
(504) 309-5557

Superfood Bar
The only restaurant in town with an entirely vegan menu, including raw food, smoothies and juices
4113 Magazine Street
(504) 891-7733

Velvet Espresso Bar
This diminutive coffee shop serves inventive vegan baked goods such as gluten-free pop-tarts
5637 Magazine Street
(504) 450-2129

For recipes, health information, and a step-by-step guide on how to get started, visit www.choosingraw.com.

-ANNIE BLEECKER

Fifty years ago, in New Orleans, a young and then unknown tenor named Placido Domingo made his debut in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The rest, of course, is history: Domingo went on to become one of the most renowned tenors in opera in the last century, though he’s never forgotten where he got his start. In the years since Katrina he’s made his presence and support for the city known, appearing in two galas to benefit New Orleans Opera. On October 12, he’ll be back again, leading a star-studded concert which, among other things, celebrates the anniversary of his auspicious debut. Recently, I spoke with Artistic Director Robert Lyall about the event.

How did this benefit concert come together?

This is the third gala concert that Placido Domingo will be presenting since Katrina. I invited him to come work with us immediately after, in March of 2006.  I took the initiative to create a grand scale event so the arts could participate in the recovery process. The event at the New Orleans Arena drew a huge crowd and made lots of money. We shared some of that money with the Philharmonic, and it brought us all back functioning in our respective programs.

The second event was when the Mahalia Jackson Theater reopened?

Yes it was. At that point, we wanted to recognize Mr. Domingo, and we took advantage of the reopening of the theater to name the stage after him. He began his professional career in New Orleans.

I didn’t know that!

Yes, he made his debut here in November of 1962, as a young man of 20 years old. He was brought in as a relatively unknown talent from Mexico. He performed a small role in “Lucia di Lammermoor.” He had a wonderful reception and so was brought back to do a major role the year after, and of course after that he grew very famous. So, in January 2009 we named the Placido Domingo Stage in his honor.

Now we come to yet another special occasion, the 50^th anniversary of his auspicious debut. We’re honoring his truly phenomenal singing career, but also other things he’s done. He’s also fostered the careers of young artists, as through his own program, the Operalia [an international opera competition founded by Domingo] and other projects as well.

Who else will be performing at the gala?

I’ve invited Stephanie Blythe, one of the leading mezzo sopranos today. She’s had a wonderful and distinguished career. The lyric soprano Ana Maria Martinez, who’s sung in every major opera house in the world, will be there. She’s Puerto Rican, and because she too is Hispanic she’s worked with Placido Domingo in a special repertory, a Spanish form of opera called zarzuela. Placido Domingo has an extensive background in that particular art form, [as] his parents had a zarzuela company. So he grew up singing zarzuela, and it’s … very dear to his heart. As [Martinez also is] familiar with the repertory and at home in the style of it, there’s an attractive opportunity to perform it in gala concerts like this.

Then we have a young man, David Lomeli, a former winner of the Operalia competition who’s now gone on to a very distinguished career. He has a beautiful lyric tenor voice, and he’ll be singing a lot of the hit [tenor] pieces, so to speak, including “Nessum Dorma” from “Turandot,” which was made so famous by the Three Tenors. We have another soprano who’s joining us, Sarah Jane McMahon, a native of New Orleans who’s launching a very successful career. She won the [Kolozsvar Award] for some of her performances at New York City Opera and is very much a favorite around New Orleans. Also, she is a graduate of one of Placido Domingo’s Young Artist Programs–this one, with the Los Angeles Opera.

Tell us about the chorus and the orchestra.

The full Louisiana Philharmonic will be performing, along with an 80-voice chorus that will be doing stirring music on a grand scale, like the soldiers chorus from “Faust,” that wonderfully uplifting chorus from Bernstein’s “Candide,” “Make Our Garden Grow,” and one of the most celebrated opera choruses ever written, “Va Pensiero” from Verdi’s “Nabucco.” It’s a beautiful stirring chorus about the loss of homeland; each individual’s yearning to return to their home.

In a different context, that love of homeland is something to which New Orleanians can relate. Anyway, the show sounds amazing.

It’ll be fun, exciting. Great voices singing the world’s greatest music.

Anything else?

We’re very proud of the fact that the first operas performed on the North American continent were performed in New Orleans in 1796. We rightfully call ourselves America’s first city of opera. We feel strongly that we’re working hard to keep that heritage alive.

Tickets are available at a wide range of prices, with the highest prices including either a champagne intermission or a pre-concert dinner. For more about the gala, which will be co-hosted by Patricia Clarkson and Mayor Mitch Landrieu, visit http://neworleansopera.org/placido-domingo/

-BETH HERSTEIN

Antoine’s Restaurant
Established over 170 years ago, Antoine’s is a historic New Orleans establishment that prides itself in serving classic French and Creole cuisines in a white-linen atmosphere for the city’s “upper-crust.” For almost two centuries, the restaurant has been dazzling diners with signature dishes like Oysters Rockefeller, Chateaubriand, Trout Meuniere and Baked Alaska. Although the Guste’s are the current owners of Antoine’s, the eatery is still being watched over by the spirit of Roy Alciatore, a member of the original family who ran the restaurant for 40 years until his death in 1972. There’s also the spirit of a friendly black male who is believed to be a former waiter. It seems he likes to move silverware around to different parts of the restaurant, so hold on to your fork!

713 St. Louis Street, (504) 525-8045, www.antoines.com

Arnaud’s Restaurant
Almost a century ago, a French wine salesman named Arnaud Cazenave opened his famous restaurant on Bienville in the French Quarter. Arnaud believed in pursuit of the pleasures one can attain by dining and was dedicated to serving quality Creole cuisine. Although the Casbarian family now owns Arnaud’s, they still believe in his dedication, offering such delectable dishes as Oysters Bienville, Turtle Soup and Fog Legs Provencale. It is believed that Count Arnaud still lingers on inside his restaurant, surveying the scene with a proprietary air. He has been observed by several waiters dressed in an early 1900′s tuxedo standing in the far left-hand corner of the main dining room.

813 Rue Bienville, (504) 523-5433, www.arnaudsrestaurant.com

Muriel’s Jackson Square
Only a little over a decade old, Muriel’s Restaurant is housed inside a prominent building that has been on the corner of Jackson Square since the 1750′s. Even a major fire that swept through the city in 1788 only partially destroyed the elegant building. Since Muriel’s opened in 2000, guests have raved about their signature dishes like Shrimp & Goat Cheese Crepes, Pecan-Crusted Puppy Drum and Pain Perdue Bread Pudding, but the restaurant has definitely seen other visitors. Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, a previous owner from the late 1700′s, lost his beloved house in a poker game and was so distraught that he committed suicide on the second floor. In what is now called The Séance Lounge, many people have reported seeing “a glimmer of sparkly light” that wanders around and believe it is Jourdan who could never leave his one true love…the house on the corner of Jackson Square.

801 Chartres Street, (504) 568-1885, www.muriels.com

The Court of Two Sisters
Opened in 1904, The Court of the Two Sisters has long been a fabulous spot for a leisurely brunch in the French Quarter. Along with fresh fruits, eggs to order and thick, rich chicory coffee, guests can enjoy local favorites including Shrimp Etouffee, Jambalaya and Grillades & Grits, but be prepared to share! Along with several other entities, The Court of the Two Sisters is mainly haunted by the two sisters who formerly owned the property in the late 1800′s. Emma and Bertha Camors, the two sisters from which the restaurant takes its name, owned and ran a notions shop in that very building on Royal Street.

613 Royal Street, (504) 522-7261, www.courtoftwosisters.com

Cafe Beignet
A great place in the French Quarter to stop whether you want a Crawfish Omelette or a delicious cuppa Joe, this bright cafe also happens to be haunted! The Royal Street location situated right next to the 8^th District Police Station is home to an apparition of what appears to be a young, Native American woman. She makes a routine stroll emerging from a closet on one side of the cafe and passes straight through the opposite wall and onto the walk that is shared with a retail establishment on the other side. It seems she is easy to miss in the hustle and bustle of the morning crowds, but you might be able to catch her near closing time during the calmer hours around dusk.

334-B Royal Street, (504) 524-5530, www.cafebeignet.com

Chartres House Cafe
With its doors thrown open to the sidewalks of the French Quarter, The Chartres House Cafe is a popular spot of locals and tourists alike who wish to wile away the afternoon over a plate of spicy, Blackened Catfish or Red Beans & Rice…but you might want to beware of the second floor dining room. Less than 20 years ago, the second floor was an apartment that was almost impossible to let. Prospective renters would become physically ill when they visited and would not make it past the living room. The apparition that haunts this building is a fairly recent entity. Many believe him to be a young man who succumbed to a gunshot wound in the 1970s due to involvement in drug trafficking. Many people have sighted him during the day, standing in the window overlooking Chartres Street.

601 Chartres Street, (504) 586-8383, www.chartreshousecafe.com

Napoleon House For almost two centuries, the Napoleon House has been located on the corner of Chartres and St. Louis Streets in the French Quarter. The original owner, Nicholas Girod, who was also Mayor from 1812 to 1815, offered his residence to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821 during his exile from France. Though the merciless emperor never set foot on American soil, the building has been known as the Napoleon House ever since. Though most folks come in to enjoy a delicious Pimm’s Cup or their specialty Muffuletta sandwich, there is a visitor of another kind. The apparition of an older black woman, believed to be a domestic slave who once worked at the Napoleon House long ago, wanders around the courtyard and slave quarters out back. There have also been several appearances of a Civil War soldier seen in the guest apartment on the second floor.

500 Chartres Street, (504) 524-9752, http://napoleonhouse.com

*Note: Unless otherwise stated, all hauntings were investigated and reported by members of the International Society for Paranormal Research were documented in “The Official Paranormal Guide: New Orleans,” which is now available as an iPhone application.

Oct 5

Louisiana Legends of Rock and Roll

The Louisiana Legends of Rock and Roll Gala presented by the Louisiana Museum Foundation will transport attendees back to the late 1950s with electrifying concerts by two Broadway stars: Levi Kreis as a young, hip and happening Jerry Lee Lewis and Louisiana native Brandon Bennett impersonating Elvis Presley. The Gala will feature food by New Orleans’ finest restaurants and specialty 1950s era cocktails, along with an exclusive live auction with fantastic items, such as a Saints VIP Game Day Experience Package. Patron Party: 6:30-8:00 pm, Main Party: 8:00-11:00 pm at the Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave. For more information or to purchase a ticket, please visit www.thelmf.org, email info@thelmf.org or call the Louisiana Museum Foundation at (504) 558-0493.

Oct 6

Here to Stay: The Gershwin Experience

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presents Here to Stay, a new multimedia concert celebrating the greatest team of collaborators in the history of American music. With a top-notch touring party, including Kevin Cole, the leading Gershwin interpreter, and Grammy Award-winning soprano Sylvia McNair, this concert event provides an unprecedented insider view into the legendary duo, complete with photos from the Gershwin family archives, rare video clips, and elegant, state-of-the-art visual elements. 8 pm. Mahalia Jackson Theater. For more info, visit www.lpomusic.com

Oct 11

5th Annual Lambeth on Broadway

Lambeth House Foundation’s annual Lambert on Broadway features cocktails, dinner, music, entertainment and dancing on the patio to the sounds of The Yat Pack, a cabaret performance in the parlor by Jeffrey Pounds and a lavish buffet by Chef John Joffe. Lambeth House, 150 Broadway St. $150. For tickets, call (504) 865-1960.

Oct 12-14
Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival

A showcase for Louisiana barbecue and crafts with two stages featuring blues and R&B performances from the region, including legendary blues man Keb’ Mo, veteran soul singers Clarence Carter and Latimore, blues harmonica ace Sugar Blue, guitar shredder Larry Burton and Baton Rouge’s Grammy-winning blues artist Chris Thomas King. Friday, Oct. 12, 5:30-8 pm; Saturday, Oct. 13 & Sunday, Oct. 14, 11 am-8 pm. Lafayette Square Park, 540 St. Charles Ave.

Oct 12

Placido Domingo in Concert

Placido Domingo will perform with some of the world’s leading operatic talent, including Stephanie Blythe, Ana Maria Martinez, David Lomeli and New Orleans’ own Sarah Jane McMahon. They will be joined by the 80-voice New Orleans Opera Chorus and accompanied by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for a glorious musical evening conducted by Robert Lyall and hosted by New Orleans’ own Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Academy Award nominee, Patricia Clarkson. Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets available only to subscribers. Contact the New Orleans Opera Association to become a subscriber.

Oct 13

Touro Here for Life Gala

Celebrate Touro Infirmary’s 160th anniversary in style with dinner, a stage show, a silent auction and dancing. The 2012 Judah Touro Society Award will be presented to Marvin L. “Buddy” Jacobs and guests will be treated to the sounds of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, featuring Leroy Jones. Grand Ballroom, Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal St. Patron: $500; General: $200. Contact Harriett D. Cortez at (504) 897-8744 or harriett.cortez@touro.com.

Oct 15

Fall Into Fashion

The upscale Encore Shop, the proceeds of which benefit the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, will host a fashion event to introduce the new line of fall clothes. This year, the shop has will allow those who pay a little extra to have an opportunity to shop before the clothes are available for sale. $50 per ticket for preview shopping and party; $35 for party only ticket. Encore Shop, 7814 Maple St. Contact: (504) 861-9028.

Oct 17

Round Table Luncheon

The popular Round Table Luncheon hosted by yours truly at noon at the Fleur de Lis Suite of the Royal Sonesta Hotel will be a literary one this month, featuring speakers Randy Fertel, author of “The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak;” Peggy Sweeney-McDonald, creator and editor of “Meanwhile Back at Coffee Du Monde,” a coffee table book with 67 life stories about food.  Psychic to the stars Cari Roy will bestow us with her Halloween predictions. Entertainment will be provided by the operatic star of JPAS. Executive Chef Peter Page is planning a three-course gourmet menu with wine pairing. $45 inclusive, $50 at the door. Parking will be validated. For reservations, contact Noel Scallan at (504) 553-2220 or nscallan@royalsonestano.com.

Oct 19

17th Annual Pasta & Puccini’s Head Dress Ball
Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s 17th annual Pasta & Puccini event will be held at the Hyatt Regency, beginning with cocktails at 6:30 pm, followed by a sit-down dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions and a concert. This year’s theme is “Un Ballo Machera” (“The Masked Ball”). As always, the black-tie event benefits the performances and arts outreach of JPAS, including children’s programming and theatrical productions. For more info, visit www.jpas.org

Oct 20

Howling Success

The Louisiana SPCA will hold its festive 34th annual Howling Success Patron Party & Gala at the Hyatt Regency. This year’s theme is “Superheroes” to celebrate the iconic superheroes, everyday heroes and everyone’s heroes: the animals of the LA/SPCA! Join Honorary Chair Melinda Schwegmann and Restaurant Chair Chef Greg Picolo as he leads the cornucopia of 30+ landmark restaurants and businesses serving their signature dishes. Patrons will enjoy specialty hors d’oeuvres, drinks, unique auction items and mingling with guest celebrities. Patron Party: 7-8:30 pm, Gala: 8:30-midnight. For more info, call (504) 762.3307 or visit www.la-spca.org/howlingsuccess

Oct 20-21

Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré

The Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré opens magnificent courtyards of the French Quarter for a special weekend tour. Ambassador Lindy Boggs will greet guests in her Vieux Carré courtyard. This highly anticipated event offers the allure of private and historic gardens otherwise closed to the public. Different courtyards will be open between noon and 4 pm each day for a special “self-guided” walking tour. Tickets are $20 each (children under 12 are free), and will be available for purchase prior to the tour at Creole Delicacies, 533 St. Ann St. and at French Quarter Gem & Lapidary, 527 St. Philip St. For more info, call (888) 756-6250.

Oct 20

Ghoulwill Ball

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, Inc. will host its first annual Ghoulwill Ball, sure to become the newest “Must Boo” Halloween tradition in New Orleans. Guests will enjoy a costume contest with celebrity judges, live music by Stooges Brass Band, delicious food from popular local restaurants, a cash bar and a silent auction. Roaming entertainers including palm readers and magicians will add to the evening’s spooky good fun. 7-11 pm. Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Dr. $100. To purchase tickets, visit www.goodwillno.org/ghoulwillball or call (504) 456-3926.

Oct 21

1st Annual Fête Marigny

Faubourg Marigny’s first annual French-themed neighborhood festival “Fête Marigny,” will feature artist and food booths with French and Creole cuisine, pétanque lawn bowling, live music, a French-themed costume contest, a silent auction, a children’s activity area and much more. Washington Square Park, 700-800 Elysian Fields Ave. 10 am-5 pm. For more info, visit http://www.faubourgmarigny.org/

 
Oct 21

Boo Carré Halloween and Harvest Festival

This French Market festival will include daytime trick-or-treating for kids in costume, a petting zoo, pumpkin carving, live music, plenty of pumpkins and gourds for sale and delicious harvest food. This year’s pumpkin patch is four stalls long and includes a haunted house! 11 am-5 pm.  For more info, call (504) 522-2621.

Oct 25

30th Anniversary Gala

Parkway Partners will celebrate their 30th birthday in style with a gala at the newly renovated Hyatt New Orleans. There will be a three-course dinner with wine, music, dancing, a silent and live auction and an awards ceremony. The ceremony will honor 30 outstanding community members who have worked to further the mission of Parkway Partners. Gala proceeds will benefit New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkway. For more info, call (504) 620-2224.
Oct 26

An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma

Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto will conduct Yo-Yo Ma, the American cellist, virtuoso and orchestral composer in a presentation of Elgar’s “Cello Concerto.” 8 pm. Mahalia Jackson Theater. For more info, call (504)523-6350 or visit www.lpomusic.com

Oct 26-28

Friends of the Cabildo 26th Annual Ghostly Galavant Weekend

Oct 26: Friday Night Costume Party at the Cabildo. Enjoy spirits, live music by Los Po-Boy-Citos and local cuisine. Foodies: beware, your taste buds will scream! Costumes encouraged. 8-11 pm. $40; $50 at the door.

Oct 27-28: Meet historic figures of Louisiana’s past on a ghost tour of the French Quarter. Tours depart from the 1850 House Museum Store and run every half-hour from 10 am-3 pm. $15 for FOC/LMF members; $20 general admission; students: $10; children under 12 are free.

Oct 29

An Evening with Jewel

The first ever National Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day will be launched right here in New Orleans. Dinner will be provided by Chefs Donald Link and Chris Wilson. World-famous singer Jewel will provide live entertainment, and many local VIPs will be in attendance. Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com

Oct 30-Nov 4

Les Misérables

Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25^th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, Les Misérables, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. Show times vary. For information about tickets, show times and the shows themselves, visit www.broadwayinneworleans.com or call the Broadway Across America Ticket Hotline at (800) 218-SHOW (7469).

When “The New York Times” broke the story in May that “The Times-Picayune” would cease printing a daily newspaper, New Orleanians were upset to say the least. They urged Advance Publications Inc., the owner of “The Times-Picayune,” to either reconsider or to sell the paper. The company even received a serious offer from Saints owner Tom Benson, but it was turned down immediately. Public anger continued, and local newspaper advocates looked to many places for help, including to the Baton Rouge daily newspaper, “The Advocate.”

“There was such an outcry. A large number of people reached out to us,” said David C. Manship, “The Advocate’s” publisher and CEO. “We already had some newsstands in New Orleans for our Baton Rouge paper, and we thought at first we’d just increase their number. But what everyone really wanted was a New Orleans edition.”

“The Advocate” recognized a need and an opportunity and decided to quickly drum up a daily edition for New Orleans. It was launched on October 1, the same Monday “The Times-Picayune” moved to its three-times-a-week printed schedule.

Manship advises that locals who pick up the New Orleans edition of “The Advocate” for the first time shouldn’t expect a fully fleshed-out alternative. “There is no way I can replace ‘The Times-Picayune,’ he said. “I can’t cover the city they way they do.”

Even after recent rounds of buyouts, firings and attrition, the hometown paper still keeps a sizable staff in the city. Meanwhile, “The Advocate” is starting with just six local reporters (who will be supplemented by stringers). “The Advocate” is committing to a daily print run of 10,000, but “The Times-Picayune’s” circulation is estimated to be around 130,000, according to various media sources.

“Normally, to launch a paper like this would take a year. We’re doing it in six weeks,” Manship said. “We’ve had to line up office space, warehouses, reporters, advertisers, carriers, salespeople and so on. It’s been a monumental task. “The Advocate” has always had a presence in Lafayette with our Acadiana edition, but we’ve never done anything to this extent before.”

Before any marketing efforts began, 2,000 disgruntled “Times-Picayune” readers had signed up for subscriptions, and Manship expects the New Orleans edition to evolve as it garners feedback from readers, finds traction in the city and increases in circulation. Someone who picks up the paper now in its early incarnation will find a typical daily with a front section that has prominent local news as well as wire stories. The second section will have more in-depth local coverage, and the paper contains a sports section, a “People” section and business stories.

Manship says the New Orleans edition will sometimes repurpose reporting from the Baton Rouge version, but it will be given a different angle when appropriate. As is not surprising for a paper based in the Louisiana capital, “The Advocate” features a strong focus on state politics as well as a deep understanding of how activity in the halls of government affects different corners of Louisiana. Editorially, the paper considers itself neutral on the political spectrum, and has recused itself from candidate endorsements for some 15 years.

People in Baton Rouge are crazy about the LSU Tigers, so naturally “The Advocate” boasts strong coverage of all sports teams affiliated with the university. Saints coverage is equally important to the paper’s readers. In fact, Manship called his paper’s sports section “one of the best in the country.” In addition to its standard sports stories, the New Orleans edition will increase coverage of Tulane teams and include New Orleans high school teams too.

“In seven of the last ten years, the Louisiana Press Association has awarded us newspaper of the year for our division, and that includes New Orleans and Shreveport,” said Manship.

“The Times-Picayune” has been touting its 175^th anniversary of late, but its capital-city counterpart is almost as old. “The Advocate” started 170 years ago, and Manship’s family purchased it in 1909.

Although Manship grew up in a newspaper family, he didn’t pursue journalism in his education or envision himself working for “The Advocate” when growing up. After a boyhood in Baton Rouge, he went to a military academy in Tennessee per his family’s tradition. Then he spent the late 1960s and early 1970s in the army stationed in Germany. When he returned to the states, he enrolled in DeVry University in Texas to earn an electronics degree, and upon graduation, received a job offer from Texas Instruments for $3.50 an hour.

“My father wanted me to join the family business and offered me $3.75 an hour, so I came back to Baton Rouge,” Manship recalled. “But he only paid me $3.50 and would just laugh when I protested. All these years later, I’m still chasing that extra quarter.”

During those early years of his career, newspapers were beginning to switch to digital typesetting, and Manship used his technical training to help with the conversion. Later he moved to the circulation department to develop an efficient routing system for customer service calls. He worked his way around the company’s various departments, and when his father retired, he became publisher. Other Manship family members currently work at “The Advocate” as well, including a brother who oversees TV properties and a son who works in the product development department.

Like its competitor downriver, “The Advocate” operates digital versions, such as a website, an e-edition, and an iPad app; Manship is certainly aware of the technological and cultural forces threatening newspapers’ viability across the country. Launching a print newspaper in a large city runs counter to long-term trends in the business. To be sure, the national industry will be closely watching what happens in New Orleans.

“I’m a realist,” said Manship. “If they can’t be supported, there may not be printed newspapers anymore.” He feels the key lies in younger generations. Many get their information online now, but they will need to convert into print newspaper readers as they get older and more tied to their communities.

“Digital media is growing and will continue to grow, but we still believe that a printed product is a mainstay of the newspaper industry today and will be for a number of years to come,” Manship said. “There are a billion websites out there. If their news is wrong, they take it down. But when you say it in print, it’s more permanent. Readers trust it more.”

-HENRY ALPERT

The iconic and illustrious female artist finds the time to lend a helping hand to the furry friends in need at the Louisiana SPCA while touring North America and recording her next album.

Since her debut in country music in 1990, musical dynamo Pam Tillis has remained one of the genre’s most beloved and accomplished female artists, garnering tons of hits including 14 Top Fives and 6 Number Ones, selling over six million records, having her songs recorded by various popular artists including Martina McBride, Chaka Kahn, Juice Newton and Conway Twitty, winning a GRAMMY Award, scoring an extraordinary CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Award, being one of the first female musicians in Nashville to produce her own album–heck, the sultry songstress has even had a lovely rose named after her! The critical acclaim and outpouring of love from fans has been plentiful, thanks to Tillis’ rich, angelic, lush and soulful vocals. That rare, honeyed voice continues to satisfy and amaze scores of audiences as Tillis tours her way throughout North America, selling out venues both as a solo artist and as half of a duo alongside fellow country artist Lorrie Morgan on their well-received Grits and Glamour Tour, where Tillis and Morgan tell stories and perform their cherished hits, including Tillis’ “Maybe It Was Memphis” and “Shake the Sugar Tree.”

Ever so kind and always a conscientious fan of New Orleans, Tillis joined forces with the Louisiana SPCA to become a celebrity co-chair for the 34^th Annual Howling Success Patron Party and Gala, the largest fundraiser of the year for the animals of Louisiana held on Saturday, October 20 in the Hyatt Regency’s Empire Ballroom. The event will feature fabulous food, a swank silent auction and plenty of fun, along with other compassionate celebrity supporters such as Vanessa Williams, Ali Landry, Sasha Cohen and Tiffany Fallon. Tillis graciously took time out of her busy schedule in between life on the road, recording a new album with Morgan and awaiting word of whether she’ll be adding to her crowded mantle after being nominated for the 2012 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Song of the Year Award for “Somewhere South of Crazy,” written with Dale Ann Bradley, to catch up with “New Orleans Living” about her music, her sweet puppy Pearl and her fascination with food, proving to be her most gregarious, sincere and charming self, even with her plate stacked high to Heaven!

Hello Pam! You and Lorrie Morgan must be having a blast out on your Grits and Glamour tour, playing your hits and sharing stories. Will we see a collaborative record from you and Lorrie soon?

It’s been a lot of fun! We’ve decided to keep it going, because as long as people are still loving the show, we’re doing it. Fans have been so responsive, and now we’ve kinda got the cart before the horse, because we started touring and then we realized how great it’d be to have a record together. So yes, there is an album in the works. The idea for the record really happened at the autograph table because every third person that came through would ask, “Where’s the record?” (Laughs). They wanted what they had seen in concert on a record and that makes perfect sense. In fact, we even wrote one of the songs for the record at the autograph table in between signing autographs; somebody said something funny, we got to laughing, I started scribbling on the back of an 8×10 glossy and the next thing you know, we’re in the studio recording it. It’s been pretty fun.

I guess songwriting can come easily when you have chemistry like you and Lorrie have when you perform together. Y’all are like creative muses for each other.

Yeah, it’s very much like musical conversation; the whole thing is like that. To tell you the truth, the cool thing about doing the record now is that it’s a different record than the one we would have made prior to working together the way we have been. We’re very picky about our own material and the songs we’re putting on it. We have three really fun songs on the record, even though the time we’ve had to write together has been pretty slim.

You recently recorded the song “Two Kings” with New Orleans-based musician Chris Thomas King. Tell us about this moving tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King and Elvis, the King of Rock n’ Roll.

I was teaching at a song-writing camp in British Columbia where students shared their song ideas and the instructors sort of helped them. This particular song idea by Brenda O’Brien intrigued me, so I ended up corresponding with her for a couple more years after the course and helped her finish the song. Then she talked me into demoing the song for her, and she wanted to make a video.One thing led to another and we wound up finding Chris and I loved his voice–it is a little reminiscent of Michael Jackson–and then he’s got some other wonderful aspects about his voice that I love. We just thought it was an interesting song and an interesting connection between those two men, and the idea of the song is that there are a lot of ways to touch the world and whatever your particular gift is you bring it, and that’s what those two men did.

What do you love about New Orleans?

Oh Christine, so many wonderful things come to mind. New Orleans is fascinating and beautiful. I love the music. I love the vibe. I love the Spanish-French feel; it’s such old-world history. All those moody Anne Rice novels come to life when you walk the streets of New Orleans. I like the party atmosphere and I adore the architecture. I just love it! And I’m crazy about the food in New Orleans.

Speaking of food, like many New Orleanians, you are one of those people who possess more of the “live to eat” type of mindset instead of an “eat to live” one …

(Laughs) Yes! My whole family and I were foodies before you even heard that term. We share a great love of cooking and enjoying meals together. You know, we’re all so busy but you’ve got to eat! So I like to elevate that experience. I find that when I’m touring and running in and out of town, the only chance I get to spend quality time with some of my close friends is to take the time to go out and eat together. And with the advent of appreciation that Americans now have for great cooking and great food, I feel like I’m right in step with the times! There are so many really great new restaurants in Nashville, like the Catbird Seat. Nashville has a wonderful burgeoning food scene right now and that’s a nice thing to see, but New Orleans has always been about great food.

Indeed! You love being in the kitchen as well. You’ve even done some food blogging and you’ve written a food column for “Country Weekly.” Do you feel it’s that same creativity that applies to both your music and your time spent in the kitchen?

Yes, I do, and I like to step outside the box by starting with a recipe but never being dictated by it. I have spent some time as a food writer and I enjoyed it very much. And for me, being in the kitchen is also therapy. Out on the road and in so many places in your life in general, things are out of your control, and I feel like you’re kind of in charge with certain places in your life, and one of them is the kitchen.

You are really into both the good stuff and the bad stuff when it comes to food. One of your spa meals that you posted on Facebook  is carrot-ginger soup, which looks fabulous. Eating right is obviously important to you, and you look like the picture of health.

Oh yeah, that carrot-ginger soup is delicious and good for you. Yes, it is good to have that balance. I totally agree.

You are a celebrity co-chair for the Louisiana SPCA’s Howling Success 2012 Gala, which will be held downtown at the Hyatt on Saturday, October 20. That’s fabulous, because “Howling Success” is the largest fundraiser of the year for the 15,000+ homeless pets of the Louisiana SPCA. Tell us why you believe strongly in this cause.

Well, animals are close to my heart. It’s something that perhaps doesn’t immediately spring to everyone’s mind when there is a crisis, but, pardon the pun, the ripple effect of these bad storms are that the furry members of our family, such as our cats and our dogs and our birds and our fish and all our pets–they get lost, they get abandoned, some don’t make it and it’s just wonderful that people are so tender-hearted that in addition to helping family and people, they care enough to try to help the animals. Those stranded horses and cattle; that’s unbelievable! We had some of that when it flooded in Tennessee, but you guys have been hit so hard, and it’s a stunning number of animals. Even without any natural disaster occurring, every day is a struggle for homeless animals and I’m proud to support the Louisiana SPCA’s faithful mission.

That’s so cool that you are involved with the Louisiana SPCA. Now you have an adorable pit bull named Pearl! How did she come into your life?

Through Lorrie, actually. I call Lorrie the “Dog Grandmother!” (Laughs). Of course, some people are afraid of pits and I understand that there are some dogs that, unfortunately, because they’ve been neglected or abused or not put in the right situations, have certain temperamental characteristics that can be problematic. But I am such a defender of this breed now; we are totally enthralled with this little animal. And I’ll be quite honest, I’ve always been on the road so much that a pet was something the kids had or somebody else looked after. Pets weren’t really a part of my life. I’m one of those people who have a hard time just keeping up with themselves. Finally, though, I had a dog a few years ago, right when I met my husband and that year we had been flying around so much that I ended up not bonding with the dog the way I needed to, and it wasn’t fair to the dog, so he went to live with the lady that was helping me look after him at the time. I said he ran off with another woman! (Laughs). And it was really great, because she was having a lot of issues in her life and they needed each other. So I know how healing animals are for people. A couple of years ago I started feeling a really strong need to have a pet and my husband and I got Pearl, and this has been the first time in my life that my circumstances have allowed with me to bond with an animal like this. It’s just been a game-changer for us and our home. You learn so much from dogs and they’re so chill while everybody else is just losing their minds! (Laughs). We just totally love her; she is so temperamentally exceptional. Oh, you would just love this dog! Everybody loves this dog!

I know I would love sweet Pearl. I love that breed as well; my family and I found an abandoned pit bull mix on our front porch and he wound up becoming a family pet. Buster truly made a difference in our lives for the thirteen and a half years we had him. Oh how we loved that dog! Once you’ve had one as a pet, they are irresistible. Many of the stray dogs that the Louisiana SPCA winds up with happen to be pit mixes, so it’s great to have you be a voice for them as a celebrity co-chair.

Oh great, that is wonderful to know. Pearl is great with other animals, too. When we get super busy in the studio or whatever, she goes to this little doggie daycare (Laughs). She loves to be with other dogs. I have seen her be so gentle, too; my sister had a kitten that she came over to the house with and the kitten put both paws on Pearl’s face and held her muzzle with her little paws. Pearl just licked her! It was the cutest thing you’ve ever seen!

Aw! That’s a great vision; sounds like the makings for the most ultimate teenage girl poster ever! (Laughs). So what are some fall dishes you look forward to preparing, and how do you like to celebrate Halloween?

I like good, hearty soups and beef stews and crock pot tenderloin–foods that are a little bit richer. I try to eat lighter in the summer. If I’m ever in town [during Halloween], I just love being at the door with candy for the kids. I’m not a big dresser-upper but I like to look at all the kids’ costumes. And Christine, I’ve got a song that I’m threatening to record, and it is the cutest Halloween song. It’s hard to find Halloween songs, so you better hold me to it! It’s hilarious!

Get busy Pam, we’d love to hear it! Humor and Halloween: two of my favorite things! On your website, you mention that you are “part farmer.” I saw a photo of you on a tractor, working that farm, girl! How is your new farm?

It’s been great, but I’m late getting in my fall crops, and I’m stressing over it. Maybe I’ll get to that next week. The farm was really beautiful at a certain point. My husband and I got some nice vegetables out of there. It’s our first year with the farm, you know, so we’re still getting our feet wet, and it’s been a real joy. It got away from me a little bit while I was touring but it’s great, it’s just beautiful.

You and I both love a great book, and we have a mutual friend originally from the New Orleans area, Brian Edwards, who’s releasing his first book next year called “My Conversations with the Divas.” That thing is going to be a hell of a page-turner! I cannot wait to read it!  

Oh Christine, I cannot wait to read it either! Brian’s a good storyteller with a great memory. He’s never done drugs, so he has all of his brain cells left and he remembers everything, which can be good or bad! (Laughs).

For more of Pam, visit  www.pamtillis.com, or check her out on Twitter: @PamTillis. For more information about the Louisiana SPCA’s Howling Success Patron Party and Gala, visit la-spca.org/howlingsuccess

-CHRISTINE FONTANA

Internationally renowned artist Hunt Slonem creates prophetic paintings of the natural world: animals, humans and most notably–birds. His intrinsic connection to the earth and his surroundings forms a vivid color pallet and a unique cross between figurative lines and expressionism.

Slonem’s affinity for animals is well known and also quite obvious when you look at the subjects of most of his paintings. “I’ve lived and worked with up to 250 living birds in my studio, and I’ve collected butterflies, monkeys and rabbits. The whole ritual of feeding and living with creatures has obviously influenced my work a great deal,” he said.

Formally classified as a Neo-Expressionist, Slonem prefers to steer away from professional artistic labels; instead, gravitating towards a term that embraces a sense of the unknown. “I prefer ‘exotica.’ We’re always labeling and categorizing art, but I paint things that pertain to the spiritual: plants and animals. I meditate and work with psychics, so there are allusions to Hindu gods and goddesses, and there’s also some Christian imagery in my work. There’s a lot of gesture in my paintings,” Slonem said.

Slonem was born in Maine, but grew up traveling around the country due to his father’s military background. After receiving degrees from Tulane and Vanderbilt, Slonem moved to New York City, where he’s remained ever since. The Louisiana landscape had a lasting effect on Slonem, however, and the artist has always taken inspiration from the Acadian countryside. He now owns two plantation homes on the historic register: Albania in St. Mary’s Parish and Lakeside in Pointe Coupee. These plantations offer a pastoral setting and artistic stimulation that have resonated with Slonem since he first came to Louisiana over four decades ago.

“I bought Lakeside Plantation in 2005. The trees and earth there create a bigger connection to nature for me. I love the different kinds of flowers; reminiscent of time I spent traveling when I was younger. I grew up looking at images of Louisiana, and I used to have dreams of plantation homes when I was a child.”

As a young emerging New York artist in the early 1970s, Slonem began using Nicaraguan holy cards as his subject matter, an inspiration from earlier travels in his college days. Paintings of animals began several years later when the artist’s style began to truly evolve and solidify into what it is today: figurative expressionism with vibrant color and subject matter.

Slonem carefully maps out his canvas before beginning each piece. “I have an idea of what I’m going to be doing and I do a lot of preparation before I paint. Normally I have three to four days to finish a painting, so I start with different layers of acrylic and oil.” Slonem paints his subjects (birds, butterflies, rabbits, etc.) in recognizable settings, like cages. He has also been known to paint the human figure. He began using hatch marks in the mid 1980s, which became a representational new form for him. “I was kind of looking for a personal vision that was my own at that time. And my style really evolved in the mid 80s to where it is now. That’s when I started making these little crosshatching marks on my paintings. It felt like I was looking at everything through wire mesh in those years,” Slonem said.

Despite the allure and excitement that New York has to offer with its identity as a creative and cultural Mecca, Slonem has discovered an unavoidable realization: that the Louisiana landscape can provide infinite subject matter for an artist who is so connected with the natural and spiritual world, as Slonem so obviously is. His life, much like his artwork, is rich with color and effervescence. Acadiana has truly influenced the life and art of Hunt Slonem.

Hunt Slonem’s work is currently on display at the Martine Chaisson Gallery, 727 Camp Street. 

-LIBBY ALLEN

What is your organization’s mission?
When we look at the cultural economy as a sector, it is the second largest economic driver in the state of Louisiana. The mission of LCEF is to support the people who work in that sector.

What are the “cultural industries” of Louisiana?
Our cultural industries are what people all over the world think of when they hear “New Orleans” or “Louisiana;” so, in a sense, our culture is our brand. LCEF serves all of the cultural industries that make Louisiana so unique; these include art, architecture, gastronomy, graphic design and digital media, fashion, film and video, literature, historic preservation, music and more.

What kind of initiatives has LCEF put forth?

Our two major initiatives are our Healthcare Initiative and our Economic Opportunity Fund.

Cultural workers tend to be an “at-risk” population—those with low-income and little to no health insurance. The LCEF Healthcare Initiative connects cultural workers to free or low-cost healthcare services.

Through our Economic Opportunity Fund grant program, we make seed grants to individuals, cultural nonprofits and small cultural businesses with ideas for innovative ways to build their own revenue streams. Their plans must be feasible and well thought out, but must also be outside the norm of their usual activities. Some examples include:

Stacy LaFleur, a visual artist from the Northshore who utilized funding to create a boxed painting instruction kit. Much like businesses that teach painting to groups using pre-sketched images on canvas, LaFleur’s kit provides a similar experience, but with the instruction included. Her kits have been especially popular with hospital patients who cannot attend classes, but can still benefit from the healing aspects of painting and being creative.

“Queen Reesie” is a Mardi Gras Indian who was funded to develop a show to educate schoolchildren about one of our most fascinating cultural traditions. Her performance employs Mardi Gras Indians, providing them with income opportunities throughout the year. Queen Reesie’s tribe also received funding to create more compact and travel-friendly Indian costumes so that Queen Reesie’s crew can take their demonstrations on the road.

Sarah Dunn is a visual artist who used EOF funds to transfer her artwork to textiles. After creating a line of pillows and scarves, she partnered with local fashion designer Michelle Beatty, and the duo received funds to create an eco-friendly clothing line that debuted at Fashion Week New Orleans this past spring.

Why were Mayor Landrieu and Jennifer Eplett Reilly selected to be honored at the 2012 LCEF annual fundraising event, LA Fête Louisiane?

Mayor Landrieu: LCEF was the mayor’s brainchild, designed to revive New Orleans’ cultural economy after Hurricane Katrina. He established our organization in 2005 when he was Lieutenant Governor. Additionally, he launched the Cultural Economy Initiative at the state level in order to fill some of the gaps of government in serving the cultural workers of Louisiana. His vision has been a catalyst nationally and internationally for quantifying the impact of culture on economies, and we continue to be inspired by his thinking.

Jennifer Eplett Reilly: One the organization’s original founders, Reilly, like Mayor Landrieu, believed strongly in the concept of culture as a major part of the state’s economy. She exemplifies a driven commitment to shed light on the importance of culture to our state; she is not only a founder of LCEF, but of other organizations as well.

What can we expect from the 2012 LA Fête Louisiane?

This is the first year that LA Fête will recognize honorees; we are really excited about that part of the event. I must say, though, that this is not going to be one of those stodgy events with lots of speeches and rubber chicken! LA Fête Louisiane is more like a high-end festival with incredible entertainment–the Original Pinettes Brass Band, Clint Maedgen, a gospel group called United Praise Singers and more. Guests will also be treated to fashion, performance art, a silent auction, food from Louisiana restaurants and demonstrations from some of our grantees. We want guests to witness how their funds are used by bringing them together with the very grantees who have made a great impact on our culture. In response to a 10 pm noise ordinance, we have planned a silent disco for dancing under the stars: guests wear wireless headsets and a live DJ spins tunes that only the dancers can hear! This should be fun for dancers and observers. Purchase tickets at www.culturaleconomy.org or by calling (504) 895-2800.

Change is a constant in life. In the world of interiors, it can be a slow evolution, a reflection of a new status or altered lifestyle or can be brought on by a dramatic calamity.

For Courtney Abercrombie Clark, change has been brought about by a series of events –starting with the purchase of a sweet 1910 cottage in Mid-City three months before Katrina and culminating with her marriage this past spring.

The four and a half feet of water the house was inundated with during Katrina necessitated gutting the newly acquired house, along with its contents, though the high water mark has been purposefully left on the cypress mantelpiece in the kitchen. Clark maintains an upbeat view: “It was sad to lose almost everything, but it also gave me the opportunity to completely decorate the house the way I wanted. I didn’t feel forced to hang on to things that didn’t work with my design esthetic. At 29 years old, I had a lot of cast-offs: college memorabilia and a seriously eclectic approach–leftovers from my Ole Miss and first apartment days.” Free of possessions, she allowed herself to be inspired by magazines, books and stores that moved her forward from post-college to sophisticated young professional.

Direction & Focus
She cleared the design deck and seized the moment. She had a clear vision of what she wanted and she stayed away from impulse purchase. A tough editor, her credo could be “use it, lose it or pass it on.”

“I worked in the hotel business, for hotels as large as Hilton and small as Maison de Ville & Audubon Cottages,” said Clark, “so I have seen any number of design approaches. My dining room is the color of the restaurant, Le Bistro, at the Maison de Ville. I found a can of paint and had it copied. It’s the only color in the house other than Alabaster, Beige Sand and Sand Storm, all by Sherman-Williams. Those colors came from a house our family rented for several months after Katrina. It was interesting to see how the colors played out in various lights and times of day. They were very peaceful. I liked that and used them when I was able to move back in and repaint.”

Less is More
There is a young, urbane vibe about the way Clark goes about decorating. One enters the house and is immediately struck by the length of the 35-foot long side hall. “It was once an outdoor gallery now enclosed, and, though many people don’t get it, I like the charm of the windows still being intact from the original house,” she explained. Furnishings are minimal: a pale, painted sideboard graces the right-hand side; on the left is a 15-foot church pew, purchased from a Catholic church in Hammond. The space below the pew has been converted into storage for the red wines the couple collects. Above are a series of crosses, a collection gathered on travels, received as gifts and even one or two painted by Clark.

“I collect crosses; white porcelain and crystal. I group the collections together for visual impact,” she explained. “When you do this, it draws attention but doesn’t look cluttered. I hate clutter. I’m not a fussy person. I like order: like things with like things.” This is exemplified by her home office-cum-guest bedroom, where baskets hold books, cocktail glasses and even paperwork.

High Style, Low Maintenance
Throughout the house, from the living room to the kitchen–where an original cypress butler’s pantry was the selling point–to the master bedroom, Clark has layered variations of the three paint colors. White, dark and tan on tan dominate sofas, ottomans and chairs. Pops of color come from artwork donning the walls. “Most of these were purchased at places like Pottery Barn, Pier One, the Renaissance Shop and from stores on the North Shore,” said Clark. “Our bed is from the original Bombay Company when it was here. It’s a mahogany four poster with canvas tied island style across the top of the bed. At this point, until we have a baby, I see no reason for another piece of furniture.”

The same can’t be said for animals who, at present, rule the Clark roost. There’s the large gray cat named Tennessee, rescued from the Maison de Ville, and a yellow Labrador named Boo Radley.

“With these two, the cardinal rule is that everything has to have slip covers that can be washed. I am all for low maintenance.” High-style, low maintenance: for a pair of thirty-somethings starting a life together, it seems an ideal way to live.

-DIANE SUSTENDAL

Fall Forecast

Typically, my most favorite month of the year is September. However, the start had me, and the rest of Southeast Louisiana, in a bit of a tizzy. Nonetheless, the consequences of the situation left me with an ample amount of free time for market research. Thank heavens for all things “I”, as in phone, pad, cloud and car charger. I finally had time to comprehend Instagram and Pinterest, and was able to devote a disproportionate amount of time to perusing Facebook. On any average day, who has all that spare time to pin and post? They must not have kids or real jobs, and by “real jobs” I mean ones that come with health insurance. Good Lord, I can barely remember to pay my water bill much less spend hours “Pinning” my favorite shoes, “Instagramming” my newly purchased shoes and then linking it all to Facebook. I need an intern just for social media. I am taking applications.

Fall Takes Flight

Before my hurrication, I was able to attend the first trunk show for Libellule (pronounced libby-lool, French for dragonfly) at Victoria’s on Magazine. The two designers, Cricket Lapeyre and Leigh Reveley Kellog, have generated some buzz since their first presentation at New Orleans Fashion Week last March. Cricket and Leigh are heavily influenced by the early works of designers Lavin and John Galliano to create timeless vintage silhouettes with modern details. These ladies immerse themselves in fashion history books for inspiration and the fine points of their collection mirror that research. “Cricket is especially good at scouring the internet and choosing amazing vintage patterns,” stated Leigh. “These patterns are still more flattering than many of today’s cuts.” The designers hand draw images, edit them into patterns and then onto fabric to fashion their beautiful garments and appliques.

Their freshman collection, Live Oak, took revelation from the majestic oaks that, like the designers, have deep roots in the city of New Orleans. The looks combined aspects of leaves, bark and moss to craft stunning wearable apparel. Each piece exhibits meticulous attention to detail and many garments have antique appliques and embroidery. The Live Oak collection consists of pieces that can be effortlessly worn to the office or to Parent’s Night, as well as stunning cocktail and formal dresses. Live Oak will be available for purchase until the end of November on www.libelluleclothing.com

Libellule will be showing its Spring 2013 designs on October 16at a NOLA Fashion Week event dubbed “Vent et Vaugue” (Wind and Waves). The line is affordable and is manufactured locally by Nola Sewn. Cricket and Leigh are proud to be an integral part of the New Orleans fashion initiative and are ready to conquer the fashion world. For more information about these events, visit www.nola-fashionweek.com

Aimée’s October Fest
NOLA Fashion Week, October 13-20

NOLA Fashion Week debuted March 2011 and has since grown into a full week featuring designer presentations, parties, educational seminars and markets. A conglomeration of industry insiders come together to feed off of the hothouse of talent that the city and the south have to offer. Writers, photographers, beauty experts, stylists, designers and retail buyers have the opportunity to network and showcase their abilities. Students and the public are invited and encouraged to attend many of the presentations and classes. Nola Fashion Week presents a unique opportunity to discover the incredible things taking place in New Orleans.

Although there are numerous happenings to choose from, these are my personal picks for the week:

Saturday, October 13: Hattie Sparks Boutique presents the collection of Camilyn Beth at Martine Chaisson Gallery, 727 Camp Street, 6-9 PM

Sunday, October 14: Times and locations TBD

• S/S ’13 Collection by Amanda deLeon
• Construct Jewelry Collection by Lauren Eckstein Shonekas

Tuesday, October 16: Libellule at The Saratoga, 212 Loyola Avenue, Time TBD

Saturday, October 20: “Stylish Solutions for the Girl on a Budget” with stylist Aimée Gowland of ALG Style and master organizer, Skye Truax of The Occasional Wife at the BETA Offices in The Merchant Bldg, 800 Common Street, Time TBD

I cannot wait to see you all at NOLA Fashion Week! Happy fashion and happy shopping!

Click image for shopping details

Styled by Leslie J. Almeida

Click image for shopping details

Styled by Leslie J. Almeida

Doctors New Orleans TV with Dr. Barbara Bopp from New Orleans Living on Vimeo.

NOLTV EP 4 from New Orleans Living on Vimeo.

Doctors New Orleans TV Episode 5 from New Orleans Living on Vimeo.

Doctors New Orleans with Dr. David Silvers from New Orleans Living on Vimeo.

In any healthcare facility, nurses perform vital functions, and East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) has been boosting its nursing program by repeatedly seeking—and earning—a prestigious recognition for nursing excellence from a national nursing accreditation organization. In fact, this honor, called the Magnet Recognition, was just awarded to EJGH for the third consecutive time.

“The nurse’s role is complex,” said EJGH CEO Dr. Mark Peters. “You might think it starts with taking blood pressure, inserting an IV or hanging the antibiotics, but there’s really a whole lot more nurses do. They serve as an important liaison between physicians and patients. And they have to keep up with all the changes in healthcare, such as inputting information into electronic health records, in order to promote patient safety and quality of care. Many different things go into nurses’ care of patients.”

Healthcare facilities that have received a Magnet Recognition are a select group: fewer than 400 out of nearly 6,000 in the United States. Each recognition is valid for four years, and with EJGH’s third consecutive recognition, the hospital now finds itself in even more elite company. Only 52 healthcare organizations across the country have received the honor three times in a row.

One reason the Magnet club is so exclusive is because the process of receiving the award is difficult and time consuming. It starts with a complex application form calling for plenty of data which is thoroughly reviewed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the organization granting the recognition. If deemed acceptable, the written application is followed by a group of examiners visiting the healthcare facility to conduct inspections and interview nurses, hospital leaders, patients and others. Then reviews and observations are returned to the ANCC for further assessment and, finally, a vote.

“I think any hospital can apply for consideration,” said Peters. “I don’t know percentages, but many hospitals who apply don’t receive recognition.”

EJGH doesn’t regard the accreditation process as an ordeal to get through with a nice honor (hopefully) at the end. Rather, it is an opportunity to review its nursing program against external checks and make sure the hospital is performing all of its nursing functions at a high level. The process also serves to boost morale and a sense of purpose among EJGH staff members, nurses in particular.

“When we started the journey to Magnet designation over ten years ago, I think it bonded our nursing staff around a common goal,” said Senior Vice President Janice Kishner who is the Chief Nurse Executive at the hospital. “As we have just earned our third designation, I am still amazed at how Magnet galvanizes our staff and brings a togetherness to the entire organization.”

Peters added, “For nurses, it’s a point of pride. The hospital has leadership that provides direction, but it’s really the nurses at the bedside who make a daily difference. They all work hard, and this recognition reinforces that their efforts are being appreciated.”

According to the ANCC, Magnet-recognized healthcare facilities are shown to have higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication and availability of help, a lower risk of 30-day mortality, higher job satisfaction among nurses and lower reported intentions of nurses wishing to leave their positions.

-HENRY ALPERT

BOOK REVIEW

The Women of Katrina: How Gender, Race and Class Matter in an American Disaster by Emmanuel David and Elaine Enarson

Like so many people from the region, I’ve been amazed and inspired by the resilience and strength of women since Hurricane Katrina. I was not so well informed, however, about the increased challenges women faced in the storm’s immediate aftermath. For one thing, despite advances they’ve made over the years, women still aren’t always treated equitably, and the inequities increase when the women are of color or have disabilities. In addition, pregnant women, women with young children, women who cared for aging parents or had disabilities of their own and women without their own cars or marketable job skills were less likely to have the means to evacuate and more likely to face bigger hurdles if and when they chose to return to their hometowns. This book, published by Vanderbilt University Press, explores many of these issues—often in academic pieces, but also through moving personal narratives.

In addition, the book explores the role of women in positive ways. In particular, the penultimate section of essays discusses the post-Katrina rebuilding years and also describes the way that things have improved. Women discovered or used their personal strengths and networking skills, often to rebuild their families and their communities. There are essays on Vietnamese and Jewish women and the roles they played in rebuilding, and another one on the inspiring work of Women of the Storm. In its concluding section, the book looks at “Gender in Disaster,” a more theoretical look at the issues which arise.

In all, this book aims to educate people about the challenges facing women in a disaster and the strengths which women can contribute to survive disaster and facilitate recovery. It also points out the ways the government failed to provide adequate assistance to women, and in particular women with children, women of color and women with disabilities, after Katrina. In doing so, the editors of this book hope individuals, communities and governments will be better prepared to protect women the next time around.

DANCE

The Joffrey Ballet Revisits New Orleans

On Saturday, May 12, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) welcomes Chicago’s renowned Joffrey Ballet to the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Ashley Wheater, the Joffrey’s artistic director since 2007, has a long and illustrious career in ballet. Wheater, who hails from Scotland, started dancing when he was six and was enrolled at England’s Royal Ballet School by the time he’d turned 11. In the Ballet’s upper school, he was mentored by the legendary Rudolf Nureyev, who inspired Wheater by sharing his “broad vision of the world of dance.” After leaving Britain, Wheater danced with the Australian Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, and, at the invitation of co-founder Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey Ballet. After retiring from dance in 1997, he served as Ballet Master and then Assistant Artistic Director at the San Francisco Ballet before assuming his current position at the Joffrey.

The last time the Joffrey visited New Orleans was in 2006, when the company donated its performance in a fundraiser for NOBA, at NOBA’s second post-Katrina production. Wheater was not with the Joffrey at the time, but he stated that the earlier performance still resonates with the company, and especially with those performers who appeared at the benefit. Among other things, the dancers, who went on a tour of the devastation, were struck with the resilience of the people of New Orleans. “We have an extraordinary power to pick ourselves back up and rebuild,” he said.

New Orleanians lucky enough to attend the show can expect an exciting night of dance, full of the Joffrey’s trademark expressiveness and emotion. The show will be “nothing like The Nutcracker”, Wheater promised, quickly adding that he loves that old classic. However, the company’s goal also is “to take what’s happening in modern dance across America”, while performing well-loved dances, as well. The New Orleans program is no exception, including works by Jerome Robbins (On the Town, West Side Story), but also pieces by Philip Glass and Thomas Newman. Another highlight is Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence, loosely inspired by the works of Jane Austen, which the company premiered in Chicago during its 2008-09 season. “In a very abstract way”, Wheater said, “the number is a testament to the strength of women and to the power of the human spirit.”

For information, including ticket information, visit www.nobadance.com/joffreyballet.cfm

THEATER

Shakespeare in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is once again teaming with the theater group, the NOLA Project, to present Shakespeare in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. From May 6-20, NOMA will present the NOLA Project’s As You Like It. NOMA hopes to reprise the success of the last joint venture, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a popular production which earned five Big Easy Award nominations.

For ticket information, visit www.nolaproject.com/shows.php

-BETH HERSTEIN

A pop-up jazz brunch. As spontaneous as scatting, clarinetist Evan Christopher and his jazz quartet, including Joe Ashlar, Don Vappie and Ocie Davis, appear at Clever Wine Bar for brunch once a month. The Sunday we were there, the short menu featured spring vegetable lasagna, roasted chicken salad sandwiches, fresh fruity kabobs and luscious coconut cream crêpes, courtesy of caterer Wakin’ Bakin.’ There’s no cover, and brunch is a bargain: $15 includes your first cocktail—a bloody mary, mimosa or my favorite, a crisp poinsettia of cranberry juice and champagne. No reservations needed; follow Clever on Facebook to get the date of the next brunch.

Whimsical cupcakes. We were charmed by the Sesame Street characters piped fresh at Petite Cupcakes & Events in Gretna. Our happy dozen included Elmo, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster with a mini cookie in his mouth, all thickly frosted on moist yellow cake. Petite Cupcakes also offers:

• Specialty flavors like Cookies & Cream
• Seasonal treats: for Mother’s Day, we love the tart lemon cupcake with delicate raspberry icing
• Cake pops and “push-up” cupcakes stacked in canisters and perfect for picnics
• A daily 10% military discount for service members and their families. The bakery’s founders include Navy and Marine spouses, and it’s located between the bases at Belle Chasse and Algiers

Tomato brulée. Thick slices of golden tomatoes are broiled with tart Manchego cheese and a touch of spiced sugar, giving them a caramel crust. The tomatoes are then sprinkled with paprika-dusted almonds and served with Romesco sauce that cleverly links the flavors together in our new favorite starter at Green Goddess.

Revving up. The much-anticipated opening of Restaurant R’evolution is just around the bend, and Chef John Folse graciously gave us a preview of the fantastic custom kitchen, accented in a burgundy-cherry “Revolution Red,” that includes a smoker and glass-door coolers; overlooking it all is the chef’s table. We were also wowed by:

• The Market dining room, where geese, whole hogs and deer legs will be on the rotisserie.
• The adjacent Royal Sonesta courtyard, which will make room for edible flowers and citrus and sassafras trees that Folse and Chef Rick Tramonto will harvest the leaves from filé powder.
• The magnificent cypress-floored wine cellar, which Wine and Spirits Director Molly Wismeier will stock with more than 10,000 bottles. We’re especially eager to try examples of Pineau des Charentes, a bright aperitif made from a blend of Cognac and fermented grape juice and skins.

Mild-mannered lasagna. The turkey lasagna at Langenstein’s grocery is bold only in its size (easily big enough for two), and this is why we like it: fluffy ricotta, gooey mozzarella, broad sturdy pasta and lots of ground turkey. The tomato sauce is mild and sunny, and lets the fruit speak for itself.

Eat Fit. You’re going to eat well and still fit into that bikini this season, thanks to Ochsner Health System’s new Eat Fit program. Ochsner’s own registered dietician, Molly Kimball, oversees the program:

• In restaurants. Ochsner is partnering with local restaurants to add yummy plates low in calories, fat and sugar. Think: Commander’s Palace’s dazzling Caribbean shrimp salad with roasted coconut, mangos and plantains glazed with honey vinaigrette. So far, Café Adelaide and Muriel’s are also on board.
• At the office. Ochsner has teamed with The Fit Gourmet Chef Dione Duhon, who prepares satisfying, healthy meals like Louisiana shrimp tossed in charred tomato sauce over whole-wheat pasta or barbecued chicken topped with Parmesan and goat cheeses. Sign up for the Eat Fit Plan to get custom eats delivered to you, daily.
• At home. Go online for healthy recipes, courtesy of Eat Fit partner Rouses supermarkets. Here’s one to get you started:

Black Bean Brownies

Courtesy of Ochsner Healthy System and Rouses Supermarkets

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained very well

3 eggs

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup Splenda®, or 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Truvia®

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. In food processor, blend black beans until smooth. Add the eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract and sugar, and process until smooth. Add half the chocolate chips and pulse a few times or stir, so that the chips are mixed in. Transfer the batter to the baking pan, and sprinkle the remaining chips on top of the brownies.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350˚F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yields 15 brownies (about 3 grams of fat and 122 calories each).

 –

Clever Wine Bar, 3700 Orleans Avenue, (504) 483-6360, www.cbwines.com

Get Evan Christopher’s schedule at www.clarinetroad.net

Petite Cupcakes & Events, 2766 Belle Chasse Highway in Gretna, (504) 233-3020, www.petite-cupcakes.com/

Green Goddess, 307 Exchange Place, (504) 301-3347, www.greengoddessnola.com/

Restaurant R’evolution is slated to open June 4 at the Royal Sonesta, 777 Bienville Street, http://www.revolutionnola.com/

Learn more about Ochsner’s Eat Fit program at www.ochsner.org/eatfit/

You can reach Anne Berry on Twitter @AnneBerryWrites.

The Lesser Evils: What Choices to Make When Choosing Snacks on the Go
In a perfect world, we would be able to stop anywhere and prepare a healthy snack that includes a little protein, fiber and heart-healthy fat. But in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we are often left to grab a snack on the go when that afternoon hunger sets in.

When you’re out and about and not prepared, there are smarter choices for snacks you can purchase in vending machines and convenience stores.

Healthier Snack Alternatives

A few healthier selections in some vending machines:

• SunChips®. A good amount of fiber and only 140 calories.
• Nuts. Higher in calories than some other choices, but the protein and heart-healthy fat will keep you fuller longer. Peanuts and/or sunflower seeds are usually available in most vending machines.
• M&Ms® Peanut or Snickers®. Not that these are exactly healthy, but at least you will get a little more protein and fiber in these candy selections. Much better than even lower calorie choices like Twizzlers or pretzels, which provide calories from sugar or refined white flour only, making you very hungry shortly after. If you can stop at just one, keep “fun-sized” packs of M&M Peanut or Snickers at home. This will satisfy a sweet tooth at only about 100 calories each.
• Smartfood® Reduced-Fat Popcorn. Only 120 calories with a decent dose of fiber.
• Nature Valley Granola Bars®. Not my favorite, but a better alternative to some of the other candy and chip choices.

Convenience stores also offer some of these items, and often carry protein bars as well.

What to Avoid at All Costs
Some of the worst vending machine choices in terms of calories, sugar and fat include: fruit-filled pies; Pop-Tarts®; any Fritos® or Doritos® variety of chips; Twix® or 3 Musketeers® bar.

Other On-the-Go Treats
Smoothies can be a healthy snack. Be sure you choose one with fresh fruit (not in syrup), protein powder and no added sugars such as Turbinado or honey.

If it’s frozen yogurt you fancy, order a small or mini size. Top with fresh fruit and/or nuts (avoid ones in syrup).

Guidelines to Follow
If you’re watching your weight, a very general guideline for an appropriate calorie level for snacks is 150-200 for women and 200-300 for men. Calorie levels depend upon current height, weight and activity level.

Healthy snacks every four hours or so help keep you energized by stabilizing blood sugar. Plus, snacking revs your metabolism so it works more efficiently to burn calories. Try to include at least one or two snacks in your daily routine.

You’ve got questions? Our nutritionist, Elesha Kelleher, LDN, RD, MPH has the answers. E-mail her at ekelleher@ochsner.org

Tyrone Henry

Co-owner, Bissap Breeze

Esailama Artry-Diouf

Co-owner, Bissap Breeze

The dynamic husband-and-wife team behind Bissap Breeze was selected to receive funding from several pitch challenges, including the “Flex Fund” and the “Big Idea,” plus they received a monetary award from Entergy. They secured the largest sum of capital earned by any one venture during the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW).      

Background:

• Artry-Diouf is a dancer with a PhD in Performing Arts
• Henry is a musician who comes from a culinary family

On Bissap Breeze and what makes it unique:

Well, “bissap” is the word for hibiscus tea in Francophone Africa. Bissap Breeze is a healthy drink that we developed, which is a blend of roselle hibiscus flowers, agave, natural extracts and spices. It’s unique because it’s multifunctional. You can drink it over ice just for its health aspects (it’s high in antioxidants and vitamin C), use it as a cocktail mixer or mix it with Perrier to make a spritzer. You can even cook with it. We have culinary and cocktail recipes on our website.

The inspiration:

It started with a question. We were newly married and we wondered, “What’s a viable business we could start together?” In our travels around the world, we discovered hibiscus. We loved it, so we shared it with friends back home, and they loved it. So, we started bottling it. It’s become a passion for us because part of the proceeds goes to math and science education and the arts.

The toughest hurdle:

Our biggest challenges involved the legal aspects. Insurance, permits and taxes, taxes, taxes! It’s all about learning to dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s.”

On helpful resources:

Idea Village and the Good Work Network got us started. And of course CED (Tech Venture Conference) and NOEW were crucial to our launch.

On the path to success:

We had a lot of things just fall into perfect alignment for us, but we are also really good at maximizing our resources. We worked with several organizations and just maxed them out! KIVA [non-profit lending organization] had just come to New Orleans, and we got to be part of the first group of small local businesses that got loans, and that helped us grow our business to the next level.

Best advice received:

We were told by a mentor in the Urban League that the number one reason businesses fail is not managing your back office. Know your back office!

Best advice to share with budding entrepreneurs:

Be passionate. Passion first, money second.

The status of Bissap Breeze today:

We’re currently in 14 locations in Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. We just finished manufacturing 15,000 bottles, and we’re expanding into new regions around the U.S. and Canada.

For more information, visit bissapbreeze.com.

Alex Landau

Co-founder of SOLarchitect

SOLarchitect was selected as the “audience favorite” of the “Big Idea” pitch challenge at NOEW this year, and earned $54,000 in seed money for its venture. Ahead of NOEW, it was selected to participate in Idea Village’s IDEAcorps program.

Background:

• Graduated from the Tulane School of Architecture in 2009
• Wrote thesis entitled: “Solarscapes: Integrating Solar Energy into the Built Environment”
• Employed by South Coast Solar

On SOLarchitect and what makes it unique:

SOLarchitect is an online platform that establishes the viability of installing solar panels. It’s unique because it’s the only platform that allows for panel-level design. You can drag and drop [virtual] panels onto a satellite image of your house. And it takes actual site conditions, like the slope of your roof, into consideration when calculating cost, energy savings and tax credits.

The inspiration:

I was interested in the solar industry because it’s a young industry and it’s still growing. Developing SOLarchitect was born out of frustration at the lack of software on the market. I was using software that is very technical, expensive and time consuming. I wanted to develop software that could quickly calculate the cost and potential savings for installing a rooftop solar power system.

The toughest hurdle:

Capital. It’s always about capital. That’s why it’s taken a year and a half to get this going. And programming was a challenge. We’ve had to outsource to India and Bulgaria, and we’re finally learning how to communicate with them effectively.

On helpful resources:

Idea Village has basically been a partner. Without the guidance, coaching and mentoring, we might have thrown in the towel. They’ve been critical in getting this launched.

On the path to success:

After spending three months looking for the software I needed, I decided to just go for it. I had no programming background, so there’s been a lot of learning along the way.

Best advice received:

Iterate, iterate, iterate. We learned the concept from some Yale MBA students who were helping us with financial strategies at Idea Village, and now it’s become our slogan. It’s never done; there’s always room to improve!

Best advice to share with budding entrepreneurs:

To those in New Orleans, stay here. There’s a whole renaissance of entrepreneurs in this city, and there’s huge potential.

The status of SOLarchitect today:

We’re planning a Labor Day weekend launch.

For more information, visit solarchitectstudio.com.

Jen Medbery

Founder of Kickboard

Jen Medbery is an alumnus of Idea Village’s IDEAinstitute. Her Kickboard won the prestigious “Coulter Challenge” award at “IDEApitch,” in which entrepreneurs must demonstrate to venture capitalists that they have the potential to grow their business revenue to $50 million in the next five years.

Background:

• Graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Computer Science
• Worked for Teach For America in the Mississippi Delta
• Founding teacher at Sci Academy in New Orleans East

On Kickboard and what makes it unique:

Kickboard is more detailed than a gradebook. It’s a unique, web-based classroom relationship management system, built by teachers for data-driven teachers, that keeps all classroom-generated data in one place. It’s a more holistic measure of student progress that keeps track of many more data points.

The inspiration:

From my own experience in the classroom, I found none of the tools we needed existed. So, we took the DIY approach with excel spreadsheets, paper and pencil. It was messy and hard to collaborate, so the Kickboard idea was born.

The toughest hurdle:

I realized I couldn’t just rely on my own experience in the classroom, and assume it was the same for all teachers. It was a challenge determining what the biggest pain points in classrooms were, and how best to solve them with a flexible tool that could adapt to fit both a kindergarten teacher and a high school chemistry teacher’s needs.

On helpful resources:

My greatest resources were Launch Pad, Idea Village, New Orleans Startup Fund and the Tulane MatchNOLA program.

On the path to success:

I started with a vision, but knew the path would be gray and murky at times, and the important thing is to keep moving forward. As you do, more doors open, but you can’t get anywhere by standing still and waiting for things to happen. I had to make them happen.

Best advice received:

Really listen to your customers and your advisors. Don’t assume you always know the right answer. Be open to new ideas.

Best advice to share with budding entrepreneurs:

Everything takes longer than you want it to. As an entrepreneur, you need to have a balance of impatience with status quo, and patience in working towards your goals incrementally.

The status of SOLarchitect today:

We have a team of seven full-time and five part-time staff supporting 70 schools nationwide, and we’re in the process of accelerating that growth for the upcoming school year.

For more information, visit kickboardforteachers.com.

-LIZ SMITH

Photo: Derick E. Hingle

The heavy hand of the NFL as wielded by its modern-day potentate, Roger Goodell, has come down hard on the Saints. By now we all know the story weaved by the media and its shadows on the cave wall are becoming almost mythically medieval: a rogue mastermind coach, Gregg Williams, brought in by a passionate but pure franchise that would secretly sell its soul for a silver trophy, perverts the very nature of an austere game and the spirit of a city by exhorting his defensive army to hurt, maim and destroy. Meanwhile, supposedly, the head coach, the general manager and the sainted team leader stand by and let it happen so they too can soak in the winnings and glory. And the fans? Well, a simmering resentment outside the New Orleans region to what was apparently considered haughtiness, or the local penchant for considering itself special, on the national level has been given permission to roam free without recrimination at will. That is the tale as told. All would seem lost. New Orleans has been here before.

But the NFL has a problem: the team seemed most apt for persecution and exemplification–small market, not one of the founding or elite teams (for example, the Bears, Packers, Giants or Cowboys), one with heretofore largely unspoken enemies both in-league and in the national fan base for the style, length and magnitude of its recent successes–may actually be the team also most apt to defy and overcome it. The NFL faces a situation in which its almighty punishment could very well come to naught as it may not truly have “punished” the Saints if the team wins again this year. So far the Saints, led by Sean Payton in exile and Mickey Loomis now appearing in “Bad Kirk” mode, do not look like they have any quit or remorse in them. Faced with losing its head coach, the Saints, with Payton and Loomis deftly performing shuttle diplomacy which few if any could do, leapfrogged over the process by attempting to secure Hall of Fame icon Bill Parcells to assume the team’s captaincy. Faced with losing a past Pro Bowl middle linebacker and the defense’s play caller, Jon Vilma, due to suspension stemming from the scandal, the team quickly brought in three new starting quality linebackers: Curtis Lofton, Chris Chamberlain and David Hawthorne, and Lofton in particular is ideally suited for taking over for Vilma. And rather than meekly accepting his suspension in the face of a media-borne firestorm, Payton appealed, thereby gaining a few extra crucial days to plan, marshal his assets and rally the team leaders who will have to manage things in his stead. Drew Brees, ever the media darling (justifiably), for once took a tack that was not what the NFL and SportsCenter neither expected nor desired, stating by Twitter, “Sean Payton is a great man, coach and mentor. The best there is.”

And then there are the New Orleans Saints fans. Who can say how the NFL expected the bounty accusations to go over locally, but what it has done is given New Orleanians yet another purpose to thrive on, to breathe fire upon, to gather en masse and remonstrate upon. New Orleanians, together, regardless of background or origin, on a mission, is something to fear if one is the object of that mission. There is something about living on a city-island that isn’t supposed to have lasted that gives its inhabitants a sense of invincibility and a love for proving it to be so.  Uniforms in the form of t-shirts were quickly printed, distributed and brandished after the penalties were handed down. There is a legitimate hope that a home Super Bowl could come to fruition. A people who have been tying their identity to a team’s image for years has now felt personally rebuked by what it considers to be an unfair assessment of the team and by extension, themselves. If–if–things work out, starting with signing the still outrageously unsigned Brees, and if the team starts winning early in 2012, the NFL will have a monster on its hands.

And then there is the question of the fairness of that assessment, an issue which could fill tomes. Teams such as the New York Giants (knocking out five quarterbacks in seven games in 2010), the Green Bay Packers (knocking out Jay Cutler on their way to winning a championship, and note that the NFL itself pays hefty bonuses for playoff wins to all players), and the San Francisco 49ers (who, unlike the Saints, did level a game-changing injury when Patrick Willis concussed Pierre Thomas into a key fumble and ended his day in the process), and others, could all be examined and the Saints as a factual matter could likely come out appearing fairly banal in comparison. And the role of Tom Benson, either as the responsible owner potentially having final calls while overseeing the organization throughout these events, or in terms of his efforts in recovering from the penalties, is certainly open for debate and possible criticism. Ultimately, the NFL has protected themselves in future lawsuits about brain injuries and possibly ensured that defensive coaches and players will be too intimidated to talk about taking out opposing players, and especially quarterbacks. But what they have not done and can never do is break a city’s spirit.

-PAUL WEGMANN

From the moment she set foot onto the glittering stages of star-maker machine “American Idol” as a naturally talented yet still unknown young singer, to her present day reign as country music’s top femme fatale and one of pop music’s ruling queens, Carrie Underwood and her stellar powerhouse of a voice have “Blown Away” her audiences. It’s no huge stretch, then, that her latest album, released on May 1 and without a doubt one of the most anticipated albums of 2012, is titled “Blown Away”. “Good Girl,” the lead single from “Blown Away” and yet another colossal song for Underwood, is the five-time Grammy winner’s fastest-selling single ever, and from the sounds of things, the two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year will have plenty more hits spawning from her fourth studio album, adding to her impressive cache of Top 20s, Top 10s and No. 1’s. And the stunning and sexy album cover art for “Blown Away”, featuring Underwood in a high-slit ombre gown with a whole lotta leg and a grey background of brooding skies demonstrates that not only is the blonde bombshell in serious shape, but also that the material on this album will have a slightly darker theme than on her other three albums, 2005’s “Some Hearts,” 2007’s “Carnival Ride” and 2009’s “Play On,” which to date have sold over 14 million copies.

New Orleans Living checked in with Underwood, who in addition to focusing hard on conceptualizing the tracks for “Blown Away”, and performing her heart out during her 2012 Grammy duet with Tony Bennett and bringing the house down opening the 2012 American Country Music Awards with “Good Girl,” has been busy enjoying her nearly two-year marriage to Canadian professional ice hockey player Mike Fisher, an alternate captain for the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Underwood shared that she is excited to be gearing up to head down to Baton Rouge later this month for her show on Saturday, May 26 at the Bayou Country Superfest held at LSU Tiger Stadium, where she’ll perform on the same bill with other country music favorites such as Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean and Dierks Bentley. In addition to being ecstatic about getting back on the road to play her brand new music from “Blown Away”, Underwood also shared with New Orleans Living her passion for animals: rescuing them, being a great mother to her beloved dogs Ace and Penny, and refraining from eating animals as a longtime vegetarian turned newly minted vegan! For that, New Orleans Living is “blown away” by the top-of-her-game superstar for hailing as a true champion for the underdog!

Hello, Carrie! You must be thrilled about the release of your fourth album, “Blown Away”. What are the defining elements that set this particular album apart from your other albums?

I am very excited that I’ve been fortunate enough to make four albums. I feel like each one has had a different vibe to it, and this one is no different. I took a little more time writing and putting things together this time around and I feel that it really shows. There are some amazingly strong songs on this album and I am so excited to finally be able to play them live!

You are certainly a world-class performer, and you have been focusing more on writing some of your own songs throughout the years. How important has the task of songwriting become to you personally and for this album?

I really enjoy writing songs, but in the end only the best songs make it onto the album, whether I wrote them or not. I think that’s important to the integrity of the album as a whole. I want to make the best album that I can, not potentially compromise the album because I want to include my own songs. It would be easy to do that; it’s harder to make an amazing album. There are too many unbelievable songs and songwriters in Nashville to bypass.

You co-wrote the first single, “Good Girl,” off your new album, and that’s a fun, powerhouse of a song. Before I heard it, and based on the title, I thought it might be a sweet lullaby you were doing … not! (Laughs) It’s one of those warnings to women about those “no good” types of dudes, and those are some of your most fun songs. What kind of response have you gotten to “Good Girl” so far and what do you think makes it a special song?

We were just trying to write an up-tempo, in-your-face kind of song, and we succeeded! Those are the most fun to do on stage. I’m often known for big, long notes and powerhouse ballads, but this kind of song is, honestly, more difficult to perform. There are some big notes in there, and they happen so fast! And it takes a lot to keep the energy up throughout the entire song. That said, I LOVE a challenge, and songs like this one only make me better vocally!

I understand that some of the material on the new album will have a darker tone compared to the songs on your past albums.

I have always explored different directions on each album. I don’t try to make the album into something before it’s done. The songs that I write and hear and fall in love with kind of dictate what the album is going to be like. There are indeed some darker songs … kind of mini-movies in song form. They are very descriptive and tell stories that are different than any other songs that I have recorded before. Of course, there are also fun songs on the album. I try to take the album in as many different directions as I possibly can with the album still making sense as a whole.

You are amazing at performing touching songs and are able to move audiences with your talents. My mother told me she saw you perform something like “Amazing Grace” that moved her to tears. That must be a compelling feeling to know you are able to do that for others.

I just love to sing. I feel like everyone has songs and artists that really mean something to them. If I can be that artist or sing one of those songs that a few people can fall in love with, that’s an amazing thing!

You will be playing at the Bayou Country Superfest in Baton Rouge on May 26, along with artists such as Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts. What are you looking forward to most about this show, which will have tons of country fans there celebrating country music?

I’m really looking forward to performing some new material! I can’t wait to get back on the road this year and play the Bayou Country Superfest!

Please share with us any memorable experiences you’ve had in New Orleans…

We actually filmed the video for my song “Cowboy Casanova” in New Orleans. We had a blast and have had fun every time we have been through the city!

You made your acting debut in the movie Soul Surfer. Do you love acting and will we see you act again in the near future?

I enjoy being a part of great projects … Soul Surfer was such an amazing story! I’m very focused on the new album right now, but hey, you never know!

We are celebrating Mother’s Day this month, and you are a very loving mamma to the fabulous Ace and the beautiful Penny, your adorable dogs! So happy Mother’s Day to you! If Ace and Penny could pick out their own gift to you, what do you think it would be? And how do they get along? Like, are they brothers and sisters or are they dating?

I bet Ace and Penny would want to take me on a picnic for Mother’s Day. We all love being outside. That sounds like a perfect day to me. Me, Mike, Ace and Penny lounging around on a hammock somewhere quiet. I would describe their relationship as brother and sister. Ace tolerates Penny, but she is definitely the annoying little sister. They play-fight all day! It’s funny.

For people who haven’t had the pleasure of having a dog as a pet, what is missing from their lives?

I have always had dogs throughout my lifetime and I couldn’t imagine a day without them. They are so happy to see me all the time! They give unconditional love … they don’t care what you do, they just want to love you and for you to love them … and maybe give them a treat or two!

You advocate rescuing animals and having them be adopted as pets. Any recent rescue stories you’d like to share? And is it true that you may be expanding your family to include some more rescued dogs?

I truly think our family will inevitably expand with pets as the years go by. I am a compulsive rescuer, and most of the pets I have had throughout my life have been ones that I took in. I just ended up with the ones nobody else wanted. The rest, I found homes for. I recently rescued a dog that was dumped on the highway. She now lives with my friend and is the happiest dog ever! She is so wonderful…I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want her. My dog, Penny, is also a rescue from my shelter in my hometown of Checotah. I couldn’t imagine my life without her!

That is so wonderful that you rescue dogs! And when you were a teenager you were upset enough about eating animals to shun meat for good, and you become a vegetarian. Now you are rocking a vegan diet! Have you directly influenced others to give up meat, like maybe Mike?

That is such a personal decision. Every person in my life eats meat. I don’t preach to them why they shouldn’t eat meat and they don’t preach to me why I should. Of course, I would love it if Mike would not eat it, but of course it’s his decision. I will say, though, he is certainly more open to eating more vegan foods when I’m making them for myself.

Well, you are really up to a lot of good stuff these days! Tell us why it was important for you to start your Checotah Animal, Town and School (C.A.T.S.) Foundation, and why you are very proud of it.

I really appreciate where I come from. My parents still live there. I wanted to do something for the families and area that contributed so much to my success. We are trying to better the lives of some really great people! I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do in the future.

-CHRISTINE FONTANA

People who lived in New Orleans in the 1980s surely remember the advertising jingle for the Louisiana SPCA in which Allen Toussaint sang, “You can find a friend on Japonica Street.” Those infectious 60 seconds were wildly successful in raising locals’ awareness of the SPCA (and of an obscure street in the Ninth Ward). Katrina-related flooding totaled the Japonica Street location, and now the SPCA’s jingle has Deacon John singing about the new location in Algiers.

Along with a new facility, post-Katrina changes also led to Ana Zorrilla becoming CEO. She had been working as the director of an education nonprofit, but when the storm put its mission on hiatus, she joined the SPCA as a fundraiser. “I thought it would be short term, maybe six or eight months,” Zorrilla said.

She became devoted to her new organization. The director announced plans to leave, and the SPCA board launched a search for a new CEO but couldn’t find anyone suitable. Zorrilla decided to throw her name in for consideration and was appointed.

According to Zorrilla, the Louisiana SPCA began in the late 1800s when a group of citizens banded together to stop the mistreatment of horses and mules used as draft animals. These days, the focus is mostly on dogs and cats, but the SPCA helps out all creatures from pigs and snakes to chickens and ferrets.

“I haven’t seen any hard-and-fast data, but my sense is New Orleans has a higher pet ownership population than other communities,” she said. “And it seems many households have two, three or even four animals.” In short, New Orleans is a city of pet-lovers. For one, how many other cities have an event like the Krewe of Barkus parade where costumed pets draw big crowds and lavish media attention?

Despite our love of pets, New Orleans culture doesn’t always make animal welfare a priority. Animal overpopulation is an enormous problem here. Zorrilla says the SPCA might take in 900 animals in some months.

“People are not spaying or neutering their pets,” she said. “Many don’t think about it. I remember we had a cat and dog growing up, and our vet never talked to us about spaying or neutering animals. I didn’t realize the importance of it until I was an adult.” She added that many local pet owners consider spaying and neutering to be something only others need to do. But animals can and do escape from all sorts of households, and animal pick-ups are evenly distributed throughout the city, no matter the neighborhood demographics.

Unfortunately, many of the animals that come into the facility are put down. For people looking for a new pet, Zorrilla encourages them to look for one first at the SPCA; all kinds pass through, including pure-bred and specialty breeds. The Louisiana SPCA is also developing a program to send some unwanted animals to counterparts in northern Louisiana where overpopulation isn’t a problem.

“No one works here because they want to euthanize animals,” Zorrilla said, “but you don’t want to see them go crazy from being trapped in a cage 23 hours a day. If an animal can never have its emotional or physical needs met, we have to do what’s humane. I believe all animals have the right to a quality of life.”

Zorrilla herself has two Jack Russells and a terrier mix which she adopted last year from the SPCA.

“Sometimes you just have a connection with an animal,” she said. “There’ve been a couple of times recently where I’ve called my husband and said if this one isn’t adopted, we’re taking it. But at the 11th hour, the SPCA found them homes.”

The SPCA has plans to expand its West Bank facility with a new adoption center, as well as a spay/neuter clinic and new spaces for educational programs. The pace of the expansion, however, depends upon ongoing negotiations with FEMA regarding a Japonica-facility payout. The SPCA also needs to negotiate frequently with the City of New Orleans.

The Louisiana SPCA is unique in the state in that it is the only entity that handles municipal animal control, instead of a parish or city government. For these services, the city pays the Louisiana SPCA, but every contract renewal becomes a contentious issue.

“Funding comes from a general fund—the same tax dollars that pay for the NOPD or street repair,” she said. “There are understandably a lot of demands on this fund, but we’re not willing to compromise on the quality of our service. We need to be able to provide the humane care we think is necessary.”

With her tough negotiating skills, ongoing fundraising, community outreach efforts, and management and operations oversight for such a large and vital organization, Zorrilla is clearly on her game. Her responsibilities are all the more impressive considering that she is still in her thirties.

“Being a young CEO, in some ways it was intimidating at first. Many of my staff members are older and have been here a long time,” she said. “I don’t think of myself as an expert who knows exactly what needs to be done. My strength is bringing people together and jointly working through issues. We have committed staff, board members, and volunteers. They’re the heart of the SPCA.”

-HENRY ALPERT

Though New Orleans native, Dawn DeDeaux, began her career as an artist at an early age with painting and sketching, over the years she evolved her creative style to incorporate sound, image, movement and technology, among other elements. Her art, though intrinsically modern in presentation, has a visceral and moving effect on its audience.

DeDeaux became increasingly interested in the concept of communications during her time in college while studying mass media, and even though she considers herself an artist by trade, the sociopolitical circumstances of the 70s and 80s proved to be interesting subjects to DeDeaux. “I think there was buried within me (even then, in the early 70s) a public artist. How do you break down an elitist barrier that can separate the art from larger audiences? I became very interested in media itself and mass communications as the fluid media, instead of paint and canvas,” said DeDeaux.

DeDeaux became involved in a creative arts rehabilitation program for the inmates of Orleans Parish, concentrating specifically on juveniles and women. Using video to tell the stories of individuals she met there, DeDeaux became enthralled with the concept of juvenile violence in New Orleans and the way in which the media influenced it.

“Mass media itself was impacting the culture and the inherent ritual of violence in the city. It seemed to be a fluid, or a conveyor. Because of mass media and the news all this information could spread like wildfire. I began to realize that this wasn’t just gratuitous violence, and that there was a sociopolitical situation feeding into it. In a way this violence was a form of protest. These kids created their own hierarchy, their own noble warrior, and they embraced human sacrifice in the form of these drive-by shootings. There was something almost Mayan or primitive about it. I got very interested in the concepts of ancient mythology and its collision with media. That was my first big comprehensive body of work,” DeDeaux said.

DeDeaux’s involvement in the city and the bond she nurtured with it as a native of New Orleans was only sharpened in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The storm’s impact on all artists’ work in New Orleans was powerful and extreme. DeDeaux’s art was no exception.

“What started my initial shift from painting early in my career was an interest in reaching out to an audience and reaching the public. Before Katrina, I would not allow myself to go into full abstraction or something that was too autobiographical in exploration. I felt this need to outreach and connect with a larger audience. Then Katrina came along and it did two things: it destroyed my world physically, and it also prompted me to become unplugged,” DeDeaux said. “I had no technology, no projectors, no computers and no cell phone.”

Though the artist grew up in the era of abstract expressionism, DeDeaux always considered that form of art too extravagant. “All of a sudden that’s all I had to work with. There was all of this abrupt deconstruction and a sense of annihilation after the storm, and abstraction became the new representation after Katrina. So, I allowed myself the luxury to make sculpture with found objects, to just deal with what I had. After Katrina I worked with mud and plywood, and I felt this compulsion to become so hands on after being so digitized for so many years. It was very earthy and primal work.”

DeDeaux’s studio, like many structures in the city, was flooded and then burned down in the aftermath of the storm. As many artists did with any work they were able to salvage, DeDeaux turned the shards of her old studio into post-Katrina art.

DeDeaux created an installation for the Prospect 2 exhibit which was displayed until March 30 at the Historic New Orleans Collection in the French Quarter. The installation has historical overture to medieval times, yet simultaneously incorporates a lot of technology as well. DeDeaux’s work seems to inescapably connect primal and historical themes to modern technology.

“I wanted the installation to certainly go beyond ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’. I wanted to honor John Kennedy Toole. I wanted to acknowledge how hard art-making is, and how far people have to go to create art; there’s a lot of sacrifice in it. So I suppose I wanted to honor a fallen soldier. “

Everything that DeDeaux creates seems to have an inherent merger between the contemporary and the primal. Even the artist’s home is a creative collision of modern structure and an earthy atmosphere. The walls of DeDeaux’s home are open slats of wood that let the light trickle in, a design that embraces the iconography of New Orleans—light seeping in through old wood. Yet those slats are encased in clear glass on the exterior, housing the old walls in a contemporary framework. DeDeaux’s life, like her art, has become a conduit between the sociopolitical turmoil of the last four decades and the ability to move beyond that turmoil.

-LIBBY ALLEN

Ginja Moseley, a veteran event planner, has given her business the new “moniker “A Beautiful Life,” which encompasses both her party, floral and interior decoration efforts under one name.

Nina Pratt Gensler, well-known “It Girl ” and former Queen of Comus, with an impressive corporate portfolio (think Arnaud’s, John Besh Group and numerous high-profile charitable fund-raisers) has just formed a new venture, NPGensler Events.

While both work with client’s to “nail” individual needs, each has favorite sources on their “Go-To” list:

For Ginja, it’s:

BIG FLOWERING BRANCHES. “They make a huge statement and can be embellished in a number of ways: ribbons, candles and more.”

SWEET PEA COLORS. “Sugary or intense. Right now, I like to mix them with greens as in newly-sprouted ferns or spring green apple .”

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT. “My husband Matt (who shares for my enthusiasm for food), flowers, décor, travel, and ‘Mopsie,’ our Shitsu, who likes to sit at my feet in my new office.”

OFTEN USES. “Scriptura for creative stationary; I particularly like the look and feel of its handmade letterpress invitations and cards.

In decorating, I often incorporate my VDM Designs trumeau, inspired by antique mirrors but customized for a client’s needs.”

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Nina’s list includes:

FOR FLOWERS: “Steve Baker at Ambrose Flowers, Kenny Rablais at The Plant Gallery and Karen Gilley at Ambience Flowers here and on the North Shore.”

FAVE LOCATIONS: “Luke’s rooftop is a great place for a party; actually, John [Besh] has so many restaurants, casual and formal. I find them very adaptable for various events. Arnaud’s private dining rooms lend themselves to birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, even weddings. Plus, upstairs at Galatoire’s.”

CLOTHES: “The SWAP stores save my life; with so many events, it would be impossible to not repeat myself without them. Millie or Sam at Saks Fifth Avenue, Jennifer at Gae-Tana’s, and Suzanne Perron for couture and bridal wear.”

INVITES AND STATIONARY: “ Like Ginja, I turn to Scriptura, but I’m a bit more formal. I love the feel and elegance of engraved invitations if the client can afford such luxury. If not, I suggest raised embossing.”

For Information:

Death Becomes Her

Amanda deLeon, NOLA Fashion Week Designer

Amanda deLeon lives at the end of Canal Street and has always been intrigued by the mortality that surrounds her. Although one might deem these ideas morbid and cold, the beauty she found in the rich burial culture of the city helped her create a unified collection for her Fall/Winter 2012 line. Amanda’s own struggles with depression, anxiety and religion, along with her passion for music, architecture and New Orleans meshed flawlessly to create great design. “I went to a show at Chickie Wah Wah and was intrigued by the story John Boutté was telling about burials and New Orleans,” discussed deLeon. “The garments are inspired by Paul Sanchez’s ‘Foot of Canal Street.’”

Anyone who follows fashion can always trace what they wore at poignant moments in their life; it is not uncommon for someone to be able to tell you what they wore to a high school football game, a job interview or a first date. It is mad and morose but any trend-setter or stylish senior citizen will, without pause, describe in detail exactly what she/he will wear for their burial. Such was the case for Amanda. While developing this collection and reflecting on her own battles with faith and fate she asked herself, “What would people wear to my funeral?” In turn she created a funeral ceremony so posh her mourners would be nominated for Vogue’s Best Dressed List.

DeLeon is proud of her entire collection for Fall 2012, yet she is especially fond of a few items: a three-piece red wool suit, a grey cape and garments made from a silk fabric she fashioned from her photographs. Amanda and her husband shot some pictures one afternoon in Greenwood Cemetery and sent them off to be screened on a roll of silk fabric. The pieces created from this fabric will be sold and a portion of the proceeds will go to Save Our Cemeteries. The color palette she uses is typically grey and black, with that projected pop of red . The fabrics for each collection are always wool, leather and silk.

Building her clothing line extends from prior career endeavors in architecture and interior design. Each collection interlaces her love of architecture, fashion and music to craft structural timeless pieces. Amanda’s designs have esthetic qualities that make them aptly paired with denim or a cocktail dress. The looks she creates can be worn continuously throughout your wardrobe’s history; the pieces are timeless staples and can be effortlessly integrated into your closet. “There is no need to go out and purchase the top trends each season,” states Amanda. “We need to slow down the cycle of fashion. I create eternal fashion.”

Where to find out more about Amanda and how to purchase her designs:

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It Only Takes a Spark

Hattie Sparks Boutique

Nestled a block off of Maple Street on Adams and surrounded by great shopping such as Swap, Em&Liv, Angelique and the Encore Shop, this precious and perfectly curated home and clothing boutique seemed to pop up overnight. Hattie Sparks is a fitting addition to Maple Street retail; her price points fall rightly between your designers at Angelique and the previously loved fashions at Swap and Encore. The wares at Hattie Sparks are ideal for the upcoming festivals and perfect for a quick hostess gift at your next dinner party.

Owner, Hattie Collins Moll, wanted a thoughtful and purposeful shop. Hattie has been contemplating opening her own place for a few years and after obtaining experience in management from large-scale retail and hotel event planning, it seemed like Spring 2012 was the right moment. Hattie, originally from Texas, drew ideas from retail in her home state and her love of fashion created a quant lifestyle boutique in New Orleans.

Hattie Sparks is a space centered on “how women like to shop.” Ms. Moll did extensive research on her products and can talk passionately about the merchandise in her store. It is apparent she did not go to market and point randomly to fill the racks and shelves. She carries carefully edited jewelry created by both local and southern designers, dresses and shorts ideal for everyday wear, stationary and fragrances. The clothing Ms. Moll carries is endearing and reasonably priced; nothing is over $130.

Hattie Sparks is a charming shop to peruse, perfect for a Saturday morning drop in after working out or in between running errands. Grab a fresh dress for Wednesdays in at the Square and a chic bracelet for your BFF’s birthday.

-AIMEE GOWLAND

Photo: Frank Aymami

Name

Niki Walker, Owner of the Niki Walker Salon

Mission

To change the hair industry by creating a fun, unique and comfortable ambiance for everyone.

Perks

A complimentary, thorough consultation and application of creative skills while keeping the client’s needs in mind. The salon has an original color bar where personalized colors are made in front of clients.

Hairstyle Contributions

As a Paul Mitchell focus salon, education, both in house and in Las Vegas, is required. Salon staff goes through an 18-week training course that includes six weeks of cutting, six weeks of coloring and six weeks of styling.

Community Involvement

The salon participates in the Locks of Love program; any client who donates over ten inches of hair gets a complimentary haircut.

Her Inspiration

Niki Walker always knew she wanted to be in the beauty industry. She began her career as a model at the age of 15, often finding herself backstage at hair shows, mixing with the crowd. She went to beauty school for cosmetology, worked behind the chair for seven years and then went back to school at the Aveda Institute. Niki received her instructor’s license from the Aveda Institute and stayed on as an instructor for three years before becoming a national educator for Paul Mitchell.

Today, she has her own teaching company, Niki Walker Systems. “I love creating and putting different shapes into a haircut to change the contour of people’s faces,” said Niki. Her unique approach involves a consultation in which the client’s appearance as a whole is taken into consideration.“We consider bone structure, face shape, hair texture, hair density and body type, and we personalize a haircut for [each client] using our expertise to advise on the style they should wear,” said Niki. She typically asks clients how much time they spend on their hair, what their morning regimen involves and how often they will come back for upkeep.

Niki travels and teaches at different salons, insisting that once you know the abc’s of haircutting, you can create any cut. In addition to her professional life, she has three kids whom she homeschools.

Niki is particularly proud of her “green” salon: the paint covering the walls is recycled,light bulbs are eco-friendly and doors and sinks came from the Green Project as refurbished, reused materials.

Niki’s Hair Fashion Forecast

Niki sees geometric haircuts coming back. These are classic and timeless haircuts that feature asymmetry and defined precision.

Salon Specialties

It is recommended to make an appointment but walk-ins are accepted. The staff includes a color trainer, someone who specializes in extensions and braids and, of course, Niki, who loves to cut and style long hair. “Everybody is well-rounded but we all have our favorite things that we do,” said Niki.

The Process

At an appointment, staff will ask how much time a client has to spend. He or she then gets a tour of the salon before changing into a robe. If the client is having his or her hair colored, a visit to the color bar is in order, where colors are mixed in martini glasses. The color is applied and then the guest is whisked away to the relaxation area to rest during the color-processing time. A shampoo and neck and back massage take place before the haircut. Lastly, the stylist imparts product knowledge and tips on styling hair.

Honey rum cocktails at Borgne. Honey is having a moment, and so what’s been hard to source in the U.S.—aged rum touched with honey—is now behind the bar at Borgne restaurant. Chef Brian Landry discovered the Arehucas distillery on a trip to the Canary Islands, and Borgne is arguably the first restaurant in New Orleans to carry its rums. While the ron miel (honey rum) is beautifully balanced on its own, the bar staff at Borgne also mix it into the classic Dark and Stormy, and into their signature Canary Island Ice Pick cocktail—refreshing and grounded by iced tea, the honey rum here acts a liqueur, giving this cocktail sweetness and body. To build the Canary Island Ice Pick at home: add ice, 1 1/2 ounces Arehucas golden rum , 1 ounce Arehucas Guanche Ron Miel (honey rum), 3 ounces brewed iced tea, and 2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice to a Collins glass. Roll into a shaker and then back into the glass.

Elvis is back. Which flavors are essential when you’re interpreting the King? Nuts and bananas, apparently. At Sweet Olive, peanut butter and bananas are distilled into house-made ice creams, and paired with a third scoop of bacon ice cream over a scattering of red- velvet sprinkles. Johnny V’s Bistro offers an even more decadent tribute, with their take on the Southern southern classic, Elvis Pie, a deep-dish layering of Nutella pudding, cut bananas, and toasted meringue.

Sucré’s birthday cake gelato. Its given name is Confetti and Cupcake, but a scoop of this creamy gelato, blended with almond cake and sweet sprinkles, turns an ordinary afternoon into a celebration.

Sushi on Oak. Chiba marries traditional Japanese dishes with subtle New Orleans flavors, and so crafts its top-notch sushi with rare cuts of sweet shrimp and tuna belly, as well as local ingredients. We like the specialty roll with meaty, sliced local strawberries, scallops and mangoes; also try the Crescent City Roll, with crisped Gulf oysters and Japanese pickles. Happy hour specials include $3 dumplings, steamed buns and bottled beers, and—honoring Japanese support for our local musicians—held a benefit for the Tipitina’s Foundation.

Rías Baixas Albariño wines. Pale, golden-–green grapes from Galicia produce these clean, fruity wines, with notes of white peach, apricot and faintly floral jasmine. Find variations of Rías Baixas Albariño by the glass at Sweet Olive; Martin Wine Cellar and Chez Nous carry the bottles.

Tarte á la Bouille. This Cajun delicacy—vanilla custard in a soft, sugar cookie crust—is made by a local bakery just for Rouses grocery stores (we’ve found them most consistently at the Baronne Street store).

Salads on the street. Our favorite new way to “eat the rainbow” is from Gia DiLeo’s food cart, which she pedals through the city twice a week. Her business, Green to Go, co–owned with sister Stephanie DiLeo, offers that rarest of street food: vivid-–fresh salads composed by color. A golden salad, then, is a luxurious mix of yellow bell peppers, golden beets and raisins, soft goat cheese and toasted walnuts; the yellow salad has a Tex–Mex vibe, loaded with roasted corn, while the blue is plump with blueberries, blue cheese and kosher bacon croutons. “We want to bring as much color as possible” to your diet,” says said Gia, who sources all ingredients from Hollygrove Market & Farm. She’s just added hearty black rice, lentil and noodle salads, and we also want to give props to the luscious house-made dressings that come with each one; we especially love the tangy–sweet and chunky tomato dressing and the white balsamic–citrus. Also unusual for a food truck: Green to Go takes credit cards.

Borgne at the Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, (504) 613–3860, www.borgnerestaurant.com

Chez Nous, 5701 Magazine Street, (504) 899–7303, www.gotocheznous.com

Chiba, 8312 Oak Street, (504) 826-9119, www.chiba-nola.com

Green to Go Nola, (504) 460-3160, www.greentogonola.com. For locations, follow them on Twitter @greentogonola.

Johnny V’s Bistro, 6106 6016 Magazine Street, (504) 899-481480, www.johnnyvnola.com

Martin Wine Cellar, numerous locations, www.martinwine.com

Rouses Market at 701 Baronne Street, (504) 227-3838, www.shop.rouses.com

Sweet Olive at the Saint Hotel, 931 Canal Street, (504) 522-5400, www.thesainthotelneworleans.com/sweet-olive.html

Sucré, numerous locations, www.shopsucre.com

Salmon’s omega-3 fats are well-known for packing a powerful nutritional punch: they can lower our risk of heart disease, minimize inflammation and reduce triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends that we eat fish— preferably omega-3-rich fish— at least twice a week, and that people with heart disease should aim for one gram of the fish oils EPA and DHA every day. A single five-ounce salmon filet provides twice that amount, making it easier than ever to get your daily dose of omega-3s from real, whole foods.

Citrus-Drizzled Salmon

12 asparagus spears with the ends snapped off

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

Fit Gourmet Creole Seasoning (or other low-sodium Creole seasoning of choice), to taste

2 Tbsp shallots, minced

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1 ½ cups orange juice

Two 5-oz fresh Atlantic salmon filets

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray baking sheet with olive oil spritzer or cooking spray, and spread asparagus spears (with ends snapped off), zucchini and yellow squash onto the sheet. Sprinkle with Fit Gourmet’s Creole Seasoning. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Mince the shallots and garlic.

In a saucepan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté the minced shallots and garlic over high heat. Season with Fit Gourmet’s Creole Seasoning to taste. Add freshly -cracked black pepper.

Add the orange juice to the saucepan and reduce by half. Once reduced, pan-sear the salmon filet on high heat for o1 and a half minutes on each side for a total of 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve salmon over the roasted vegetables. Drizzle the orange juice reduction over the salmon. Bon appétit!

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

287 calories

13 g total fat

2 g saturated fat

62 mg sodium

21 g carbohydrates

2.7 g fiber

24 g protein

COOKING FIT TIP: To remove the skin from baked salmon, simply place the salmon skin-side down on a sheet of aluminum foil (no oil), then bake/broil on a cooking tray. After cooking, the skin will stick to the foil, and the fillet can be easily peeled off. Just slip a spatula under the salmon and it will come right off.

Ready to get fit? New Orleans is full of outdoor activities, like sailing lessons and kayaking tours, a. And this lovely spring weather is a great time to enjoy them. So gear up, grab a friend, and get moving!

ACTIVITIES

Running

On your mark… get set…GO! You still have time to register for New Orleans’ most popular race: The Crescent City Classic. Thousands of people from across the world participate in this festive and physically -challenging event. Beginning in the French Quarter, this race follows a fast and flat 6.2- mile course, through the Central Business District and under the shady oaks of Esplanade Avenue. Crowds of family and friends, along with a few brass bands, line the route, shouting words of encouragement. Runners and walkers will cross the finish line near Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park, where live music, cold beer, and comfort food await them. The Crescent City Classic 10K takes place at 8:30 AM on April 7. To register, visit www.ccc10k.com

Sailing

Spring is the perfect season for coasting the cool waters of Lake Pontchartrain while socializing with your mates. So hop on board and set sail! Not sure how to start? Enrolling in an adult sailing class is the first step. Murray Yacht Sales offers both private and group sailing lessons for beginners. From trimming the spinnaker, to learning the correct sailing terminology, students will discover the basics of this enjoyable pastime. Expert instructors provide the confidence and knowledge that’s necessary to turn any landlubber into a capable sailor. Besides learning how to sail, students will experience camaraderie with fellow classmates and have a chance to participate in the many social events associated with the sport. Visit Murray’s website at www.murrayyachtsales.com for additional details.

Kayaking

Kayaking is both a pleasant and productive way to enjoy the spring breeze and sunny weather while soaking up the picturesque scenery along Bayou St. John. Signing up is easy. Kayak-iti-Yat provides tours for groups of two to ten people, seven days a week. An assortment of group tour packages, along with the necessary kayaking gear, is also available. Each tour package guarantees a fun-filled day: besides paddling a kayak along the shimmering bayou at a comfortable pace, kayakers can grab a bite to eat or refreshments at one of the nearby restaurants, like Parkway Bakery or Bayou Beer Garden. Need another reason to climb into a kayak? Paddling leads to toned arms. Ladies, you will be ready for sundress season in no time! More information about Kayak-iti-Yat tours can be found on their website: www.kayakitiyat.com

PRODUCTS

Priorities Fitness Wear

Between working out and running errands, even Saturdays can become a bit hectic. But thanks to Priorities, active wear that goes anywhere, you have one less thing to worry about while crossing items off of your “to do” list: a wardrobe. This Magazine Street shop offers a unique line of active wear that creates an effortlessly polished look for ladies on the go. The featured comfortable ‘skort’ and polo ensemble by Golftini is perfect for golf, tennis, Zumba class and can even work as ‘carpool clothing’.  Now that’s a hole in one.

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil® Dry Sack

If you plan on participating in the aforementioned kayaking and sailing activities, then you’d better make sure that you have the right waterproof gear. Massey’s Outfitters on N. Carrollton offers everything you need, including the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil® Dry Sack. From your cell phone to your favorite shade of lipstick, your belongings will be protected from the elements by these ultra light weight and seriously durable bags. And, Massey’s offers an array of eye-popping colors of the Sea to Summit line, so there’s no need to forgo your style for security. Check www.masseysoutfitters.com for additional product details.

-SUZANNE PFEFFERLE

The biggest restaurant chain in the world isn’t McDonald’s or Burger King. If you’re going strictly by the number of locations, that distinction goes to Subway, which has over 36,000 stores in more than 100 countries. Louisiana alone has over 500 locations, and the vast majority of them were helped into existence by Hugh Stiel who, as a “development agent” for the company, recruits, trains, and supports franchise owners and scouts new locations.

According to Stiel, Subways have readily proliferated because little cooking is done at the stores. While Subway franchises do bake fresh bread and cookies, they don’t need grills, fryers, vents or grease traps like most other fast-food outlets do. The simplicity and flexibility of the Subway model means locations can be as large as 3,000 square feet or as small as 400 square feet, allowing them to find homes in typical shopping centers as well as in places like gas station mini-marts and supercenters.

Twenty-five years ago, Stiel had to wonder if Subways would find homes in Louisiana at all. “Everyone thought I was nuts to open a sandwich shop here,” he said. “People told me, ‘No one in the South south would eat a sandwich like that.’ But I figured people are already used to eating po’ boys, and there’s not a whole lot of difference between that and a sub.”

Subway’s food is standardized, so there’s little variation between outlets no matter where they are located. But Stiel still looks to add Louisiana touches to his business, Subway Franchise Company, which has 30 employees.

“We have company crawfish boils, give money to local causes, and every year at Mardi Gras, I send king cakes up to Subway headquarters in Connecticut,” he said. “This year I sent 60 of them. People up there get so excited, because it’s still wintery. One woman calls the king cake her first sign of spring.” He adds added that Subway founder Fred DeLuca loves New Orleans and comes annually for a week. “He spends more time here than anywhere else.”

Stiel was born in Baton Rouge and grew up in a middle-class family in Morgan City. As a young man, he had ambition to have a successful career, but didn’t quite know what it should be. He attended college for a semester. He worked for an auto dealership and rose to sales manager, but it didn’t work out. Later, he tried real estate and still couldn’t really find his place.

“I was about 30 years old, and I felt like giving up. I didn’t know what business to go into,” he said. “It was also when the oil industry was going through rough times, and people were moving away. But I wanted to stay and do something here. I remembered reading that a lot of great businesses got started in a recession.”

He happened to eat at a Subway in Pensacola and, liking the concept, he looked into opening one himself. He didn’t have a penny to his name, so he borrowed from family and friends and maxed out his credit cards to raise the necessary capital. His first store—and the first Subway in Louisiana—opened in the Old Metairie Village Shopping Center on Metairie Road.

“We didn’t make a lot of money, but we had good customer flow,” Stiel recalled. “I could see there was potential. After about three months of that store being open, I flew to Connecticut, and the owner asked me to become a development agent. I haven’t looked back since.”

Stiel lives in a condo on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans but says he spends 90% of his time on the road visiting existing Subways and scouting for new locations everywhere between Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Beaumont, Texas. He enjoys exploring all the corners of Louisiana and the Gulf South: the beaches and Bayou Teche and the oak trees on Highway 90.

He also loves New Orleans and, courtesy of his Subway earnings, bought the Lafitte Guest House on Bourbon Street last month. Stiel says said he’s admired the charming hotel since he came to New Orleans as a kid and is looking forward to renovating and running it. In addition, he’s working on growing a new concept in Louisiana called Taco del Mar. The restaurant will serve Baja-inspired Mexican food in the same point -and -choose style of Subways. Along the course of his business and travels, he eats at a Subway maybe every other day.

“I’m always watching my weight and trying to eat healthy. After seeing what [Subway spokesperson] Jared accomplished and getting to know him over the years, I know it can be done,” Stiel said. “I normally get tuna, fully dressed with a little vinegar, salt and pepper. Or sometimes I choose veggie on wheat bread.”

And about once a month, he’ll treat himself to a fried oyster po’ boy.

-HENRY ALPERT

The vibrant and multi-cultural dexterity of New Orleans is often reflected in the artwork of its local artists and Terrance Osborne is no exception. His colorful and vivid paintings display the spirit of New Orleans.

Osborne painted the 2007 and 2010 Congo Square Jazz Fest Posters that portrayed Phillip Frazier and Lionel Batiste, respectively. They quickly became best sellers among poster connoisseurs nationwide and may have influenced his selection by the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation to produce his first poster for their festival this year. His design depicts Troy Andrews (Trombone Shorty) blasting music from the front porch of a shotgun shack. The porch lights bathe Andrews in a glow that covers the flowing houses in the background while simultaneously lighting up the sky. The poster speaks with a sense of renewal to both the festival and the city itself. “The whole time I was painting this piece, I felt like that the city is slowly coming back and this poster signifies that. Whatever we lost, it seems to be showing its face again,” said Osborne.

Many of Osborne’s paintings in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were tongue-in-cheek portrayals of houses and iconic city landmarks that were absurdly stacked on top of each other or morphed into something else entirely. Other Katrina-inspired works of Osborne’s reflect both a sense of tragic loss and rebirth for New Orleans.

“Katrina gave me more to paint about. The first piece I did after Katrina was when we were living in Georgia and I couldn’t paint a house without water underneath it. It seemed like every piece I painted I had to paint water in it for a long time but slowly I got away from that,” Osborne said. “Some of the work that I salvaged from my house had water lines on them from the flooding. The yards in those paintings and the waterlines left on the paintings were at the same level. I just painted water over the grass in those landscapes and left the water line on the back. That was the kind of work that every artist was doing here—Katrina-related work almost by force.”

Osborne’s paintings constantly exemplify the optimism and resilience of a city still recovering from disaster. “The city was almost like your favorite broken coffee mug. You put it back together with some glue and you have it, but it’s not the same. So, now it feels like we just got a new mug. It’s not the same as the last one, but it’s new and it’s a fresh start,” Osborne said.

Inspired by his mother, Osborne began exploring his artistic talents at an early age. A graduate of Xavier University in 2000, Osborne became a full-time teacher but after Hurricane Katrina, Osborne and his family fled to Georgia for a short time. Before Osborne had the chance to seek out a new teaching position, his artwork garnered him multiple commissions and he’s been working as an artist ever since.

Osborne started painting on wooden boards giving his art a unique quality, which is also appropriate for his theme of traditional New Orleans architecture and style. “I started working on wood mainly because it was cheaper for a college student to paint on that than on canvas,” said Osborne.

Like many artists, Osborne’s work has evolved over the years into a more settled and consistent theme. “I did more figurative work when I first started painting. I’ve become a little more certain about what I’m doing, which might come with age too. I’m more confident in what I’m painting now, much more than when I first began.”

Many of Osborne’s pieces in recent years have incorporated a 3-D component. “I started playing around with different elements of my paintings and eventually began cutting out pieces of the board and making them 3-D to give it a pop,” said Osborne. “I want my work to stand out when you walk into the room; I don’t want you to pass it up. It’s also just much more fun and a nice mixture between sculpture and painting.”

Osborne’s work has resonated with many people because of its bright colors and iconic New Orleans components and, like the city itself, Osborne’s paintings are diverse and rejuvenating. Undoubtedly his work will continue to inspire local residents and solidify itself as a new edifice of the old New Orleans.

-LILLY ALLEN

Most 16-year-olds are asked whether they want to become a donor when applying for a driver’s license. These teens probably responded yes or no in a spontaneous, on-the-spot decision, and then forgot about all it.

As a result, the public isn’t always aware of the enormous impact this decision can have on the lives of others. The Legacy Donor Foundation aims to widen awareness of the positive consequences of this life-changing decision. It provides education and public awareness activities about organ donation, with the goal of increasing donor registrations and fostering informed family acceptance of the process.

An Unexpected Legacy

An organ donor can potentially save the lives of nine people, said Juliette Thompson, Executive Director of the Legacy Donor Foundation. This means that just signing the back of your driver’s license could help nine other people leave legacies of their own. As opposed to so many diseases for which there is no cure, organ donation is the cure for those needing transplants.

However, common misperceptions about organ donation persist, and these are often the reason for the apprehension people feel about becoming a donor. Among the most common is the idea that if a doctor sees that you are a donor, he or she will not save your life. In fact, this is a direct violation of the Hippocratic Oath, which all doctors take. A patient must be declared brain dead before organs or tissues can be recovered, and determining whether a patient is brain dead requires extensive testing.

Another misconception is that celebrities and the wealthy have priority when they need an organ or tissue transplant. Thompson clarified that organ donation is based on need; the patient that comes up next on the transplant list is whoever is the sickest and is a match for the organ being donated.

Youth Outreach

In the state of Louisiana, 30 minutes of driver’s education training is dedicated to organ donor registration awareness. The Legacy Donor Foundation is producing a video field trip and an interactive online game that target youth, and will soon become part of Driver’s Ed curriculum. The video game, named Scalpel Pal, teaches about transplantation and all aspects of becoming an organ donor.

The Wide Reach of Tissue Donation

Transplantation of the body’s tissues—bone, skin, corneas, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, arteries, veins and heart valves—allows for truly amazing changes in the lives of others. Tissue donation from one person can restore sight to two people, and enhance the lives of 50. Thompson told me about an 11-year-old boy with bone cancer who was in danger of losing his leg, but thanks to a tissue transplant, is now a healthy 15-year-old and an avid golfer.

In the movies, a scrubs-clad actor rushes through a hospital with a vital organ in a cooler, dry ice fumes seeping out its sides. While organ transplantation is very time-sensitive, tissue transplantation is not. Thompson relayed the story of a man who had been blind for over 30 years, during which time he’d fathered three children. A corneal transplant allowed him to wake up from surgery looking into the faces of his children for the very first time. Imagine giving such a gift.

Photo: David Tompkins

On April 22, approximately 2000 athletes participating in the Ochsner Ironman will dive into the cold waters of Lake Pontchartrain, steeling themselves physically and mentally for what lies ahead: 1.2 miles of swimming along the Lakeshore Drive seawall, 56 miles of biking, and finally, a 13.1-mile run along the lakefront. In five to seven hours, these athletes will have traversed 70.3 miles.

Who would voluntarily participate in such an arduous challenge, and why? We posed the question: “Why Tri?” to four local triathletes, and what we found out about their motivations and how they got started surprised and inspired us.

The New Orleans Ochsner Ironman 70.3

• In the top five of 70.3 races in the world in terms of participation

• One of the only 70.3 races where relay teams are permitted

• Held on the same weekend as the 200th celebration of the Battle of New Orleans; festivities include an air show from the Blue Angels at the Lakefront Airport.

• Registration is still open: http://ironmanneworleans.com/

We spoke to the Race Director of the Ochsner Ironman to get the inside scoop on this year’s race and what he’s planning for next year.

-

Bill Burke, 56

Race Director Profile

Races Produced and Directed:

• Both New Orleans triathlons: The Ochsner Ironman 70.3 and the 5150 Triathlon

• Crescent City Classic from its inception in 1979 until 1993

• 0lympic trials in Honolulu in 2004 and Des Moines in 2008

• New York City Triathlon in Manhattan

• Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco

• Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines

How he changed this year’s route: “The race will start at the UNO Research & Technology Park, and it’s going to finish there for the first time. Most triathlons start and finish in the same spot; it makes it very convenient. This way when your family shows up to watch you, they don’t have to leave and go anywhere; they can just stay at the race and enjoy the activities there the entire day.”

What he has planned in Nola for 2013:

• The first annual Shamrock Run, St. Patrick’s Day, 2013. www.shamrockrunnola.com

• An 8k that will run on the old Crescent City Classic racecourse, starting at the WWII Museum and running down Prytania to finish at Audubon Park.

• Details: A costume contest, $40,000 in prizes, and an Irish band on every mile. The Thursday night before the event there will be a Shamrock Underwear Run to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

–

Joette Karr, 36

Front Desk Supervisor and Group Fitness Instructor, Elmwood Fitness

Previous Ironman experience: Trained for the 2011 Ochsner Ironman but her event (swimming) was canceled due to inclement weather

Training since: 2011

Three’s company: I am on the Ochsner relay team. I’m doing the swim, another guy is doing the bike and our manager is doing the run. The Ironman swim is 1.2 miles, and I’m hoping to do that within 35 minutes. I think swimming is the easiest discipline. I am very comfortable in the water; it’s my release.

On discovering her love of swimming: At work we were all in a slump with our workouts and none of us wanted to gain too much weight over the holidays, so we started a friendly competition to see who could alter their body fat and weight the most. The only thing I did was add more swimming to my workouts, and suddenly my body fat just dropped.

Last year a relay team was looking for a swimmer and I said I’d do it. That was the first time I’d ever swum any kind of distance. It’s rewarding because you think you can’t do different things, and then you just do them. You keep going back to it and eventually it becomes natural.

On training with a coach: Endurance challenges weigh on you physically and mentally. You get to a point where you feel overwhelmed and overworked. If you train without a coach, you could be doing too much. A coach can tell if you need to take a break or slow down. If you’re not training with someone or having someone coach you along, you can’t really tell that on your own.

On overcoming obstacles: Over the summer I became severely anemic, and I couldn’t’ train at all for a few months. Starting to swim again was challenging; it almost got to a point where I thought I couldn’t do it anymore. But you keep going out there and you keep pushing it and your body gets back to where it used to be—your body remembers.

On nerves: Swimming in open water is different than in the pool. When there’s wind, the water can be really rough. In a pool you can see the bottom and you can see a line; in open water it’s like you have a blindfold on. You don’t know if you’re going straight or not. [Lake Ponchartrain] is so murky, you can’t really see anything. And then there’s swimming in a group: they say you get kicked, you get punched and people swim right over you. My biggest fear is freaking out when there are so many people around me.

Her greatest motivation: A lot of it is encouraging other people. When they see you do it, they can work up to it themselves. I had my son five years ago and gained 70 pounds. I never thought I’d be in the shape I am now. It’s sharing that with other people and seeing their eyes light up, like “I can do that too.”

–

Scott Eckart, 37

Naval Aviator

Previous Ironman experience: Three half-Ironmans and one full-length Ironman

Training since: 2004

On the perks of triathlons: One of the allures of the triathlon community is getting to pick an event and make it into a vacation. Earlier this year [my wife and I] went to Corpus Christi and just took a weekend. We’ll usually travel somewhere and have some fun with it, instead of making it just a job.

On New Orleans’ greatest training asset: The levee right on the [Mississippi] River is a phenomenal resource for bikers and athletes. From Audubon Park to the turnaround point is 22.5 miles, so to go out and come back is a 45-mile loop. When you’re up there, you curse the wind, but the irony is that it’s making you stronger.

On the importance of coaching and a developing plan: The coaches at Ochsner help you come up with your plan, which is designed around your fitness. Obviously the plan takes into consideration the conditions: whether it is hot, windy or cool, and you compare your fitness level to what the conditions are. You just stick with the plan, and if the plan is good you can usually prevail.

On the most common mistake triathletes make: Not properly pacing; 95% of the time people go too fast too early. They’re all amped up and they get out there and start riding too hard. But if you get the pacing wrong, you’re not going to finish. It’s an endurance event; it’s all about how strong you are at the end. It’s a long day, so you’ve got to make sure that you don’t over-exert yourself early on. That’s the number one thing that hurts people. The body knows; you can’t trick it. You just have to have that plan.

His greatest motivation: At the competitions you get really nervous before the event—you’re really kind of dreading the whole thing—but as soon as the gun goes off, it’s a different set of feelings. It’s all business. You go out there and race hard and then you finish and it’s a fantastic feeling. What I’ve noticed is the more nerves you have before an event, the more gratifying the feeling once you complete it. That’s why you keep coming back for more.

–

Dr. Ali Sadeghi, 36

Plastic Surgeon, Sadeghi Plastic Surgery

Previous Ironman experience: None

Training since: November 2011

On how he got into triathlons: I’m a pretty athletic person and I used to lift weights and play soccer, but I sustained an injury and it got to the point where it was too painful to play, so I stopped. I had a friend who did triathlons and he introduced the idea to me. I saw that it had completely changed his lifestyle. I just wanted to get on a bike because I thought that would be better for my knee. I got into the biking aspect of it and loved it. My knee was healing. Soon after that I started running. The rest is history.

On the mental challenge: It’s not just physical training; it’s also the mental preparation. Swimming in open water can provoke anxiety, then you get out and get on your bike, and then you’re exhausted and you still have to run a half marathon. You can be the strongest physically; you can get all the gadgets and gizmos; but if your mind is not ready, you’re not going to be able to get through it. Most people don’t talk about that part. Mental preparation comes with practice.

Strength in numbers: I train with two of my friends: Arthur Deutcsh and Josh Barndner. Two of us are doctors and the other is a medical sales rep. We have crazy hours and we try to train four out the five mornings and, if time permits, some training after work. We motivate each other through emails and phone calls.

We’re planning to try to stick together [during the race]. It’s nice to have people you’ve trained with be close to you; it’s definitely a motivating factor. My friends have done the half-Ironman before. It gives me comfort knowing they think that I can do it.

On the importance of family support: My wife, Eliana, and I have been married for nine years and she’s very supportive. She is also a physician and with three kids, our time is very scheduled around the household. It’s a completely different lifestyle in terms of eating, exercising and trying to be a role model for those around you. Your family really has to be on your side to make it work. That’s part of the mental preparation. Their support goes a long way.

–

Jacqueline Bethel, 26

Weapons Officer, US Coast Guard District Headquarters

Previous Ironman experience: One half-Ironman

Training since: 2010

On how she got started: I really got into running when I was in college and started doing 10ks and 5ks. While I was on deployment a year ago in Houston, one of my friends said “Hey, why don’t we run the triathlon?” I ran it with [my friends] and I had a blast, and one friend in passing suggested I do the Ironman in Texas. I didn’t do it to be competitive; I just wanted to see if I could finish. Then, since I’d gotten in shape for it, I figured if I could keep it up between races, that I would keep doing them.

Her biggest challenge: The newest part for me was the style of biking. When I was in college, all I ever did was mountain biking and this kind of bike is very different. When I first got on mine, a couple of pedals into it and any small movement I made the bike reacted to. That took me quite a while to get used to. I’m very slow compared to the people I’m in a group with.

On nerves: I worry about whether I prepared enough, whether I ate the right things the day before or whether I have enough water with me. If it’s something that I could have prevented in preparation—that’s the one thing I get nervous about.

It’s neat when you get there the morning of [the race] and you can watch [the athletes] set up their little staging area because everyone has a particular way of setting up [his or her] one square foot of space. That’s where I see the nerves start to set in. You’re setting up your stuff and you’re wondering if you’ve forgotten anything. You see who’s around you and what type of bike they have and you wonder how long they came to be here.

On why she finds Ironman races so addicting: In running races you have beginning, intermediate and advanced runners. If you’re competing in a triathlon, every single person competing is an athlete. No matter how physically fit you are, you’re considered an athlete when you compete in these.

Her greatest motivation: I’d like to complete 32 half-Ironmans as a tribute to Virginia Tech, where I went to college. I was there during the shootings and 32 of my classmates were killed. Right before I left they came up with the slogan “Live for 32.” I thought about it before signing up for the last two races: “What if I did one half-Ironman for each student?” It’d be my own way of remembering them.

“One of greatest things about working here is that it’s fun,” said Karyn Kearney of her job at the Audubon Nature Institute. “The word ‘fun’ even appears in our mission statement. Whenever things get stressful, I can take a break and go see the parakeets.”

Part of Kearney’s title is managing director of the Aquarium of the Americans, but her role at Audubon entails far more than the aquarium. She heads the Insectarium, Woldenberg Park and the Entergy IMAX Theatre, and (among other things) she is the executive who oversees marketing and public relations for the entire Audubon organization. Although her domain can be found at the foot of Canal Street, she spends a fair amount of time uptown at the zoo where Audubon’s corporate offices are.

“Luckily, I live off Magazine Street about midway between the zoo and aquarium. I go between the two so often, I could probably drive Tchoupitoulas on autopilot,” she joked.

Kearney thrives in her position with its diverse duties, which on any given day might entail operations issues, managing employees, coordinating a festival or developing new attractions. Kearney said she “learns something new every day,” and that doesn’t necessarily mean a new management tactic. It could be about why the cow chews its cud or why a snail leaves a slimy trail.

Those factual tidbits are actually part of Animal Grossology, a new exhibit at the aquarium, which she helped develop; another new one is called Parakeet Pointe. Other Audubon improvements underway are adding a playground and an interactive fountain outside the aquarium. Inside, they’re renovating the Caribbean Reef, that beautiful glass tunnel near the entrance. At the zoo, the elephant barn will be remodeled, and the super-popular water park Cool Zoo, which just opened last year, will add a lazy river.

“We’re an entrepreneurial organization. Audubon is constantly evolving, building and rebuilding,” Kearney said. “Our staff is extremely nimble. We have a lot of talented people who can wear different hats each day.”

That agility proved essential after Katrina threw the organization into a tailspin and forced dramatic cuts in staff. In the end, Audubon proved to be an important part of the recovery. The zoo re-opened in November 2005, just three months after the storm when New Orleans was sparsely populated. According to Kearney, some 75,000 guests attended re-opening weekend, more than the number of city inhabitants at the time. People flocked in from all over.

“It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I felt the same when we re-opened the aquarium in 2006,” she said. “I stood at front gate and watched people walk in with tears in their eyes. They’d say, ‘This is the only thing in my life that’s normal right now.’ Bringing normalcy back to New Orleans was a personal and professional high point for me.”

The night of the aquarium re-opening also happened to be the night Kearney first talked to the man who would later become her husband. Early in their careers, both worked in Louisiana politics. Although they traveled in the same circles and attended the same events, they had never met before.

Kearney grew up on a farm in north Louisiana with her four younger sisters. She credits her rural upbringing for instilling the values she holds dear today: hard work, gratefulness and responsibility to community. She enrolled at LSU in Baton Rouge and chose to study journalism because of her interest in government and a desire to effect change. As a senior, she worked on Buddy Roemer’s campaign for governor, and when he won in 1988, she took a job in his administration. Eventually, Kearney needed a break from the 24/7 schedule, so she moved to New Orleans for a position with the Louisiana Music Commission. After about a year and a half, she signed on with Audubon.

It was the early 1990s, and civic pride was low. She and a friend in the Young Leadership Council, an organization for young professionals, didn’t like how so many residents seemed needlessly negative about their city. Through the YLC, they raised $1 million and launched the “Proud to Call It Home” campaign. Bumper stickers with the slogan soon appeared all over town and are still in circulation almost twenty years later.

“As a public image campaign, it was incredibly successful. And I love all the bootlegs,” she said, referring to the multi-language versions of the slogan that became equally popular. “That’s what you want from a campaign like this, for your idea to take hold.”

Kearney remains involved in a number of charities and civic organizations, often as a board member or leader. For example, she’s one of two city champions for Lemonade Day this May. It is part of a nationwide event that teaches kids basic business and entrepreneurial skills. She has two children of her own and loves how Audubon brightens kids’ lives.

“I love sharing our cultural assets and animal collections with children,” she said. “They’re having experiences that will always be a part of their lives. When I’m at work and see children laughing and happy, that’s the greatest reward.”

-HENRY ALPERT

Jeffrey Saad has got the whole world in his hands through his spice cabinet. The successful restaurateur, chef and food consultant—who is also currently the executive chef and partner of The Grove restaurants in San Francisco—introduced America to his “cooking without borders” point of view while earning the runner-up position on the fifth season of The Next Food Network Star in 2009. Seeing the potential in him, Food Network gave him his own web series, Spice Smuggler, which ran online for a year. In 2010, Saad became the culinary-curious and charming star of Cooking Channel’s United Tastes of America, where he takes viewers on trips across the country to discover how classic foods have risen to their iconic statuses.

Now, with his newly released cookbook, Jeffrey Saad’s Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders, the fun-loving food fanatic continues his insatiable quest to inspire people to ramp up their kitchens with vibrant international flavors, bringing global expansion of palates without a passport. Brimming with almost 100 recipes, Saad’s colorful new cookbook makes it easy for the tastes of Spain, Mexico, France, India and more to permeate the meal repertoires of many American home cooks. New Orleans Living had a hunger-inducing chat with the enthusiastic new author about his cookbook, his everlasting love for traveling the world and a delicious recipe well-suited for those prepping for the 2012 Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans on April 22.

Your first cookbook, Jeffrey Saad’s Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders just made its debut. As a chef, you must be living your dream come true with it.

Thank you. It is truly exciting for me because it’s like a diary of my cooking, traveling and family pleasures with food. To hold your cookbook in your hand is such a cool feeling because you have all these food ideas swirling in your head for years and to have it all together in one place is the best.

Your passion is to teach home cooks to cook locally and eat globally.

Right. The idea is to drag your tongue across the globe without ever leaving your kitchen. People don’t often get to travel all over the world but everybody these days seems to have an insatiable appetite to taste new cuisines. My book is 10 chapters and each is broken down by the flavors and spices of different countries plus eggs and dessert. Cumin, coriander, and dried ancho chilies with a little tomatillo mixed in—that screams Mexico. In the Indian chapter, you keep the cumin and coriander, drop the chilies and add cardamom and turmeric. Spice cabinets are essentially maps of the world’s flavors and you might not understand where the borders are or how to cross them, so my goal is to add a ton of flavor and excitement to what people cook and eat by showing them how.

Your passion for journeying around the world in search of exciting tastes and spices even led you to pack up your wife and children and take them through five countries in Eastern Europe with no map or directions.

Yes. A few years ago we had plane tickets to Germany and a car rental, and that was it. We landed and we just drove. It was the most amazing adventure and the greatest things happen when you don’t know what’s going to happen. You just go with the flow and laugh a lot together; the kids loved it. All I knew about paprika growing up was that it was in everybody’s spice cabinet. …All they really knew what to do with it was sprinkle it on deviled eggs. Going into these markets in Hungary and Budapest and seeing piles of paprika was great; it looked like the paprika deserts of spice dunes. It was great trying all these dishes, goulash, sauces and stews that were permeated by paprika. I felt like a drug dealer packing these bags of paprika under my clothes and underwear and in my suitcase. (Laughs). I felt like I was doing something wrong but it was so exciting.

You are so committed to spices that you’ve even put together your own blends that people can try at www.jeffreysaad.com. Once you get comfortable with using spices, you can take a singular chicken breast and transform it into an interesting, spectacular meal. You can take your chicken to India or Italy on any particular day.

You got it. Poultry has a passport. My stance is that the whole world can grab a chicken breast or a piece of anything out of their fridge, take two or three spices, toast it in a little oil or a dry pan and make this tasty chicken with not much effort. They can also go crazy and do one of the longer recipes. I have five spice blends—Indian, Mexican, Mexican BBQ, Chinese and Italian—and they’re a lot of fun and convenient as well.

America is a melting pot and places like San Francisco, New York and New Orleans have always embraced different cultural tastes, but it seems as though exotic global foods and tastes have only come into vogue in recent times across more of America.

You’re exactly right. It used to seem like spices and world flavors were fusion cuisine and nobody really knew what that meant. It usually resulted in every country in the world being involved and the food being a “fixing.” Now I think it’s more of an appreciation of flavors that go well together. Thanks to Food Network, Cooking Channel and all the amazing chefs and cooks around the country [that] I’ve been so privileged to meet, people now more than ever enjoy tasting those flavors from around the world. Like the Internet, our palates have gone global as well.

We’re gearing up for the Ironman Triathlon in New Orleans this month, and the Chicken Tikka Sandwich in your cookbook looks like a hearty and healthy meal to eat while you’re training.

It is. What makes it exciting is that the spices, yogurt and the marinade are so visually beautiful. When you see it on the plate, the chunks of juicy, tender chicken are bright yellow and the red pepper and onion strips have been flash-sautéed so they still have some crisp to them. It’s such a visual and textural experience [that] you can’t believe you’re just eating chicken. I am a huge exercise fanatic; I just came down the mountain this morning on my bike. I love surfing and I do martial arts so I appreciate what your readers will be doing. It’s like a fantasy for me to do the Ironman. I think what’s good about this sandwich is you’re getting nourishment and the right amount of protein from the chicken and not too [many] carbs from the bread because naan and pita are thinner. You’re getting tons of flavor and you’re not charging yourself with empty calories.

I guess part of your goal is to have people consider global cuisines like Indian food as comfort food. Americans have mac ‘n’ cheese and hamburgers to rely on, but why not derive comfort from a Chicken Tikka sandwich as well?

You must be my long lost sister or something because that’s exactly right. That’s what we’re doing at The Grove in San Francisco. For the BLT, we take smoky, sweet applewood bacon and put harissa mayo on it. People ask, “What is that beautiful, earthy-red chili burn I’m getting at the end?” It changes their eating experience, but yet it’s comfortable.

Tell me about your experiences filming United Tastes of America in New Orleans. I hear that you think that Donald Link’s Cochon and Butcher are the coolest places ever.

I love both those places. Cochon has these little morsels of juicy alligator that have been fried perfectly and are so flavorful. Cochon and Butcher are two great examples of being either totally refined or totally rustic and still capturing all those flavors. I’ve got to say that I love your city; we started the first season here and we just finished the third season in New Orleans, so it’s symbolic. To me, you guys just embody the spirit of life and living. Some of the best memories I have were made in your city.

What did you think about the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival?

Oh my gosh, the Po-Boy Festival was amazing. It’s amazing to take one thing and see how many ways people can change it. To me, the food is also about the people, the languages and traveling, and the Po-Boy Festival is really about amazing po-boys and amazing personalities. All the wild people there are hilarious. I loved it all, from the retired policemen doing their donut po-boys to the classic oyster po-boys and the po-boys that were more like a banh mi. It’s the spirit of the people putting their thing out there with all the passion in the world. The energy in New Orleans is so brilliant and, of course, so is the music. I’m thinking about Kermit Ruffins playing right now.

It’s true that food in New Orleans has about as much character as its people.

Yes. One of our funniest moments was when we shot the crazy Jacques Leonardi from Jaques-Imos for our sandwich episode in season one; what a riot he is. And oh man, that deep fried sandwich he does. I was out in the street and the camera was rolling and he comes running out and jumps on my back and basically swings around to my front and I’m carrying him like a baby; he’s hilarious. That’s the [type of] characters you’ve got. Then you’ve got the refined places like John Besh’s August. Every time I go there, I go to the bar alone, hide and savor each plate. And you always want to go to Mother’s no matter how touristy it is; there’s something about the debris you just can’t resist.

What is the key to having a successful restaurant? You’ve been involved in quite a few.

I was lucky. After culinary school, I started off by opening three Mexican restaurants called “Sweet Heat,” which was gourmet Mexican and a dream come true. I lived and slept there, met my wife there and had our kids during that time. I think the key to success is truly bringing your passion to the plate; people taste your passion and they get it. At the end of the day, your palate knows the truth. I can talk all day long but when I put food in your mouth, that’s when you go, “I get it!”

It’s Easter and time for the venerable and humble egg to take center stage. You are the spokesperson for the American Egg Board. What’s the latest, greatest and most delicious thing you’ve done with an egg in the kitchen?

I did a whole chapter on eggs in my cookbook because I truly love them, even before I got with the American Egg Board. They are the ultimate, affordable powerhouse protein staple. I would say one of the simplest things to do is just to char shredded radicchio in a little olive oil so that the bitterness mellows out a bit, add little chunks of bacon or pancetta for a smoky sweetness, add a squeeze of lemon to brighten the whole thing up and just fold that into some fluffy scrambled eggs. Eggs will go with anything because they are the ultimate world traveler, more than I am. I challenge you to name one spice, ingredient or herb that doesn’t go with eggs. And [when] you add a friend egg to anything, it makes it more exciting.

What are some countries that you have yet to explore and relish in their cuisines? You and your wife both have Middle Eastern heritages, so maybe someplace there?

I’m dying to go to Lebanon because my body, soul and mind are marinated in the flavors of Lebanese cooking because of my Sittee—my grandma—and my childhood. Beirut is a must [as are] Turkey, Greece and that whole Mediterranean section; I want to experience the flavors there.

And I hear you want to go to Morocco too; you’ll have to pack your tagine.

Yes, definitely. The spice markets in North Africa, are you kidding me? I have to brace myself so that my head doesn’t explode (Laughs).

-CHRISTINE FONTANA

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Ginger-Spiced Chicken Tikka Sandwich with Cumin-Tomato Mayo

Serves 4

3 teaspoons ghee Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon garam masala ½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/3 cup plain yogurt 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions

3 tablespoons tomato purée 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 naan or pita breads

1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1. In a small pan over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon of the ghee. Add the garam masala, ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds to bring out the flavorful oils of the spices. Transfer to a medium bowl large enough for the chicken. Stir in the yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the tomato puree.

2. Slice each chicken breast horizontally into 3 or 4 slices. Place in yogurt mixture and coat thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours overnight.

3. Wipe the marinade off the chicken. Season the chicken with salt. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon of the remaining ghee. Once the ghee is hot, sauté the chicken until golden on both sides, about two minutes per side. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, the remaining 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, and the cumin. Set aside.

5. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 teaspoon ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add the bell pepper, onions and turmeric. Sprinkle with salt. Sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

6. Spread the bread with the mayonnaise mixture (if using pita, split it open). Add the chicken, peppers and onions mixture. Garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately.

The food. The music. The architecture. The people. We all have our own reasons why we love living in New Orleans. But what does New Orleans living mean to you?

New Orleans Living magazine is hosting a contest to find out just that. Submit a creative piece in the medium of your choice that captures your love for the Crescent City. Whether it be a photograph, poem, short essay or video, we want you to share your joy and enthusiasm with us. Post your entry to the New Orleans Living Facebook wall, and then tell your friends, family & co-workers to “like” your post. The two posts with the most “likes” will each win a $100 gift certificate to ONE Restaurant & Lounge. At noon Wednesday, May 2nd, all “likes” on the entries will be counted and the two winners will be announced shortly thereafter on the New Orleans Living Facebook page, facebook.com/NewOrleansLivingMagazine.

Text-based entries in the form of a wall post should be limited to 1,000 characters or less per Facebook.com’s guidelines. Links to videos can either be uploaded or linked to an outside site such as YouTube.com or Vimeo.com. We reserve the right to delete material that is unlawful, malicious, or discriminatory in nature, or violates the Facebook.com Terms of Service agreement.

Entries will not become the property of New Orleans Living magazine, but by submitting your work, you grant us permission to use it in any and all marketing and/or promotion in conjunction with this contest. Entrant also grants us permission to share the entry in all outlets of social media, including but not limited to Facebook and Twitter. By submitting an entry, the entrant agrees that he/she owns all intellectual rights to said entry, the piece has not been previously published for commercial use, and is not infringing on another’s work or property rights or copyright. In the case of a three-way tie, the first two entries submitted will be designated as winning entries. Questions regarding the contest should be sent to Leslie@LivingNewOrleans.com.

Photo: Frank Aymami

New Orleanians know the hard-learnt secret that the best thing in sports—and life—is not always the winning, but the investment and the shared devotion with fellow fans who want something more in life and seek it in the exuberance of citizens of a special place all screaming and willing a final result into existence. Rarely in pro basketball does a player come along who can similarly channel that passion on the floor; one who can carry the energy of the fans’ desires to the basket. With Greivis Vasquez, the Hornets have such a player in their midst now and he has given reason to the local fans to come to the arena and pour their hearts out for a cause much bigger than the NBA itself.

A Venezuelan, Vasquez knows and speaks with his heart about the true passion that comes with having come from such a special place. “Venezuela is a beautiful country, my whole country is really excited that I am playing for the Hornets. That’s thirty million people who are behind New Orleans.” Vasquez speaks a language of hope, dreams and possibilities for winning and a desire to triumph that has not been echoed in the halls of the arena in quite the same way perhaps since the team’s arrival.

In Vasquez, Hornets fans have someone who has fought through adversity—much like what the Hornets are going through now. After some initial rocky years at the established Maryland program and while confronting language barriers and the social discomfort associated with being in a foreign land, he ultimately rose to become a fan favorite. After his senior year, Vasquez won the 2010 Cousy Award for having been the best college point guard in the nation.

He led Maryland to the mountain top, sharing the ACC title with perennial behemoth Duke, and was later narrowly defeated in the NCAA tourney by eventual Final Four participant Michigan State. The win over Duke was pure Vasquez and in a die-hard manner he seized it by sheer force of will and skill. With just over 30 seconds remaining, Vasquez took the ball from deep in the backcourt, split the seam through the key and hit a running bank shot that shocked the eventual national champion and threw the fans into absolute pandemonium. The fact that the shot seemed so impossible to make stood out, but most importantly, it showed a complete lack of fear from a player willing to take a chance, coupled with passion and an iron will to win.

Traded in exchange for former first-round pick Quincy Poindexter just before Christmas, Vasquez took the trade as the sign of a true gift. “Since then it has been a really good opportunity to develop not only as a player but as a person too,” said Vasquez. “The good thing about this team—even though we have a losing record—is that we are young and the future looks bright. A lot of teams that have a losing record like we have right now don’t play as hard and they don’t put in the work. We do, and eventually it’s going to pay off. We’re going through some pain, we don’t want to lose and we want to represent the city the right way and win games, but sometimes you have to go through tough times to figure some things out and have success in life. I’m a winner and I love winning and I will do whatever it takes, play any role, I want to win and I want to show the fans and coaches I want to do my best whether it means scoring or getting my teammates around me better.”

Vasquez said his college coach, Gary Williams, compared him to Pete Maravich. He can run the floor as the one-guard or shoot the ball as a two-guard, brings a terrifically effective floater, an increasingly improving middle range jumper, and is known for spectacular no-look passes. “The best thing about my game is helping my teammates around me play better,” said Vazquez. He often does this with his excellent passing, but he also brings the occasional show-time pass like Maravich. “Every now and then [it’s] just to get the crowd going so that everyone gets involved,” he said. Winning, will, passion and hard work are predominant in Vasquez’s attitude. His capacity for bringing energy, his devotion to his teammates and the occasional on-court flair make him the very kind of player Hornets fans should be pulling for to become a permanent fixture in the city’s future basketball landscape.

-PAUL WEGMANN

“This reminds me of a fishing camp,” my friend said, as I joined him for lunch at Borgne restaurant. He meant the stilted, open-decked camps that line inlets and canals all the way to the Gulf coast. This is where fishermen clean and sort their catches, and get in the shade with a beer.

Borgne, the latest restaurant from Chef John Besh, is washed in cool water tones, the same shimmering slate gray of the lake on an overcast day. Lightweight seating in the casual dining room recalls “deck furniture,” my friend noticed, while eye-catching pillars of oyster shells anchor the airy space. Another design element I loved: oyster-shucking stations gleamingly replicated in the restroom sinks.

The cuisine here is a tribute to the Isleños, immigrants from the Spanish-speaking Canary Islands, located off the coast of Morocco, who settled in St. Bernard parish. The menu is nearly all seafood and Executive Chef Brian Landry slyly works in references to his earlier tenure at grand dame Galatoire’s with my favorite dish at Borgne, the seductively simple “fish in a bag.” Inside the steaming paper wrap is flaky local sheepshead, drizzled with a roux made from crab fat, scraped out from behind the crab’s mouth.

I also loved the Caldo Nuñez, a nod both to the powerful Isleño surname and to the flavors of Spain. Spoon-tender shredded pork shares a light broth laced with allspice, saffron, garbanzo beans and hints of mint. It’s luscious without being too rich. Lighter eaters should try the salad made with Vietnamese herbs and lemongrass, paired with grilled rounds of chicken and named for Father Vien, the Catholic priest whose urban garden in New Orleans east is legendary. Borgne’s recurring theme of immigrants, and what they bring, makes this inclusion really spot on.

If you’re picturing oystermen hungry after a long, hot day’s work, then I see them diving into Borgne’s perfect fried catfish with tangy green tomato chow chow, and a cold beer selected from an impressive selection of canned brews and local drafts.

Most of the menu’s ingredients are local, but Chef Landry does import some items from the Canary Islands—namely, the goat cheese with surprising mozzarella-like texture that’s served with chopped hazelnuts and authentic Canary Island honey rum.

Save room for dessert: cinnamon–crunchy churros that I don’t believe you’ll find anywhere else in the city, hazelnut flan topped with cleverly conceived condensed milk sorbet and a spectacular, pudding-plump ginger ice cream, warmly spiced with real ginger. I’m also intrigued by the promise of turrón ice cream—as the daughter of a Basque; I grew up eating the honeyed, almond nougat.

And as someone who knows the immigrant’s story pretty well, you might say that Borgne has me hooked.

Caldo Nuñez

Courtesy of Brian Landry and Borgne

2 large yellow onions, diced

1 bell pepper, 1 stalk celery, and 1 large carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds pickled pork, cubed

1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cubed

1 1/2 gallons chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

3 cups each mustard greens and green cabbage, chopped

2 cups garbanzo beans, soaked overnight in water

1 sweet potato and 1 yellow potato, each peeled and diced small

1 cup whole canned tomatoes, diced

Kosher salt and black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Fresh mint to garnish

In a large sauce pot over moderate heat, cook onions, bell pepper, celery, carrot and garlic with just a splash of olive oil for several minutes, or until vegetables become slightly translucent. Add the pickled pork and chuck roast.

Pour in the chicken stock and season with bay leaves, paprika, cayenne pepper, all spice and saffron. Bring the broth to a boil before reducing heat to a gentle simmer. Add the mustard greens, cabbage, garbanzo beans, potatoes and tomatoes and simmer until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh mint.

-ANNE BERRY

For over two centuries, the people of New Orleans have been celebrating St. Patrick. Since the first heavy influx of Irish immigrants landing here, in the nation’s leading port, during the early 19th century, their culture has become an indelible part of the unique amalgam that is the Crescent City.

Nowadays, every year for a week around March 17, the city comes alive and everyone is “wearin’ the green.” Bright floats pass out edible plunder, where you can catch more than enough carrots, potatoes and cabbage for a hearty stew while smartly dressed Irishmen in kilts and sharp jackets trade roses or beads for kisses from female parade-goers. There are parades everywhere, from the French Quarter to the burbs, but one of the biggest takes place in and around the Irish Channel, one of the many quintessential neighborhoods of the city.

Joining the fray this year will be one of the few Irish-centric restaurants in the city, The Irish House. On the corner of Melpomene Street and St. Charles Avenue, this pub/family-style restaurant founded by Dublin-native Matt Murphy will host a weeklong celebration in honor of St. Pat. Murphy recently left his namesake restaurant, M Bistro at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, to launch his Irish dream in August 2011. Acquiring a large building that once housed a Mexican-themed restaurant, Murphy has successfully altered both the environment and the menu to reflect the ambiance of an Irish pub.

Murphy has been immersed in Irish cooking since the age of 14, when he worked at his father’s pastry shop and grandfather’s restaurant in Dublin. After studying the culinary arts, working at Michelin-starred restaurants like The Tea Room and traveling to exotic, far-off places like Thailand and Hong Kong, Murphy made New Orleans his home. The Irish House is where he can showcase the cookery of his childhood in a traditional manner as well as creating a sort of rich, Irish-fusion cuisine featuring local ingredients. You can taste Murphy’s creativity in dishes like Gonsoulin Ranch Meatloaf over fried walnut bread with wild mushroom and foie gras butter or Jumbo Lump Crab & Heirloom Tomato Salad with pickled onions and okra and drizzled in cane vinegar and citrus oil.

Like any good tavern, The Irish House also features a large bar with many different beers, both in bottle and on tap, from brewers all over the world, from Belgium to Vermont. You can grab a stool at the bar and drink a pint or two while watching rugby tournaments that are aired on the flat-screen TVs and promoted heavily via a calendar on the The Irish House’s website (not to mention through Facebook and Twitter). You can also fill your belly right there at the bar, taking advantage of classic combinations like bubble & squeak, bangers & mash or fish & chips before you try hitting the hard stuff.

Murphy is excited for the local St. Patrick’s Day celebration and has planned a variety of festivities at The Irish House. A lover of Irish music, the chef was animated when discussing his plans to feature a different performer every day that week, including musicians like Aine O’Doherty from Donegal, Ireland and Beth Patterson from Lafayette, Louisiana. On Saturday, March 17, the restaurant will pull out all the stops and the entire parking lot will become a mini-festival of its own with food booths, beer stands and live music all day long. Murphy will be serving hearty Irish breakfasts in the restaurant all morning featuring rashers, Irish sausage, potato hash and black & white pudding. The chef also plans to feature dishes from different regions of Ireland like Leitrim, Wexford and Cork and he confided a secret wish to extend the party down an entire block of Melpomene from St. Charles to Prytania.

So raise your glass to The Irish House and offer a toast to New Orleans’ newest addition of Irish music, food and celebrations that promises to quickly become a local tradition.

-KIM RANJBAR

Your cell phone’s incoming text sound might be a bell, a knock, or a whoosh, but whatever it is, you most certainly take notice when you hear it. There’s something about receiving a text that almost instinctually makes people want to check it right away.

That instinct can be put to healthy use, at least that’s what the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana and a number of other health care organizations, government agencies and sponsors are banking on. They have banded together for a new initiative called txt4health. Its goal is to put the brakes on our city’s problems with diabetes by encouraging people to engage in preventative behaviors and to detect the disease early on.

“Txt4health is a way for people to get diabetes-related information delivered right to their cell phones,” said John Maginnis, VP of Corporate Communications at BlueCross BlueShield. “It’s designed to help people understand their risk for type 2 diabetes and take steps to lead healthy lives.”

To get started, anyone with a mobile phone simply has to text the word “health” to 300400. That first text will set in motion a series of questions designed to create a health profile that includes details such as age, weight, smoking habits, and so on. Once the profile is set up, the user will receive occasional texts over a 14-week period.

“A lot of messages have to do with the results you can get from exercise and proper nutrition—how small things can make a big difference,” said Maginnis. Depending on the participant’s profile, texts might include information about health complications, encouragements to lose weight and ways to take advantage of free or low-cost community resources.

“If the profile shows the person to be in the high-risk category, a text will urge them to call a number immediately so they can learn how to get fully screened,” said LPHI’s Nebeyou Abebe, who is txt4health’s Campaign Manager. “Those who don’t have insurance can find a nearby health care provider who helps underinsured people and those on public assistance.”

The intended audience for the program is adults who are either pre-diabetic or undiagnosed diabetic. “This is a general consumer campaign. Diabetes affects people of all stripes,” said Abebe. “But we definitely want to reach the poor and communities of color because these groups are disproportionately affected by diabetes.”

As cell phones have become cheaper, poorer Americans favor them. According to the New York Times, nearly 40% of all adults living in poverty use only cell phones, compared with 21% of higher-income adults. And according to a Pew Research Center study, 73% of Americans regularly use text messaging.

The txt4health service works on any phone with SMS capabilities and no iPhone or Android operating systems are needed. Still, text-messaging charges do apply.

The program’s leaders know the need is great in New Orleans. Six out of ten New Orleanians carry at least one of the major risk factors for diabetes. The txt4health program is working on getting the word out through mentions in the press, TV spots, billboards in urban areas, and radio PSAs. Abebe said they are also working with established community groups such as the McFarland Institute and the Neighborhood Partnership Network.

Other organizations involved in txt4health include government and non-profit groups such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Beacon Community Program, the American Diabetes Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Programs similar to txt4health are being simultaneously rolled out in Cincinnati and Detroit, but the New Orleans program is the first to get off the ground. The program’s goal is to sign up 10,000 people within six months of the launch date, which was January 31.

After the 14-week period has ended, recipients will be surveyed on whether they thought the texts were useful and whether they followed up on suggested resources, as well as other matters. “The plan is for us to refine the program every quarter,” said Abebe. “We plan to continue txt4health in New Orleans and roll it out elsewhere in Louisiana.”

-HENRY ALPERT

It’s springtime once again, and the scent of fresh flowers can be smelled in the gentle breezes that flow through open windows. Although I enjoy this time of year, it really feels like we didn’t even have a winter. Nevertheless, the reality is that spring is upon us and once again it’s time to reorient our decorating initiatives.

Research the Trends

So, what’s hot for this spring season? This year’s focus is on home fashions that reflect the latest styles on the runway: bold colors combined with natural fibers to create a relaxed but organized look. Just how do these trends translate to the home fashion world and to individual designers? It’s easy to achieve this look with linen-inspired fabrics paired with colored accessories such as pillows or a throw. Even fresh flowers can do the trick. We all need a little “flower power” in our lives to inspire us. Now, here’s the deal: untrained and inexperienced individuals get confused when decorating by not using a clean, well-organized palette infused with appealing accessories.

Take Charge

In order to pull off the latest trends, it’s important to carefully consider theme and organization. For example, picture frames scattered all over the house do not make an appealing visual impact unless they are neatly arranged in a specific setting. I enjoy studying high profile design publications and I have yet to find one with a room that is messy and disorganized. Too much is just that—too much. Good designers require balance in design. Sometimes we need to purge all of the insignificant items in order to reveal the real beauty of an area; this is the challenge of all designers.

Getting Started

Always approach proper design with a focus on ‘eye appeal.’ For example, let’s start with your bedroom nightstand since it is one of the first things you see in the morning and one of the last things you see before you go to bed at night. Start by clearing it of all unnecessary items and retain only a few essentials such as a preferred lamp from another room if you don’t currently have one on your nightstand. Add an alarm clock and perhaps a phone if those items are essential to your lifestyle.

Freshen Up

Next, place fresh flowers or a small plant in an appealing location. Make your bed daily and be sure to remove old bedding and the hodgepodge of unnecessary items. Remember: it’s time to freshen up. Use all white or ivory sheets, blankets and pillowcases to transform your bed into one found in a five-star luxury hotel room. Your final touch should be one or more pillows rich in color and accessories that provide eye appeal and brighten your day. Now you’re well on your way to the beginning of pleasurable spring decorating.

Monique Breaux is the owner and principal designer for Posh Exclusive Interiors. For more information, call (877) 768-3346 or visit www.poshinteriors.com.

This month one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, Disney’s The Lion King, comes to the Mahalia Jackson Theater for an unusually long run (March 14-April 15).

I recently chatted with Pensacola native and LSU alum, Maurica Roland, who has been with the show for five and a half years as part of the ensemble and understudy for the parts of Nala, Sarabi and Shenzi.

Seeing The Lion King is a glorious experience. What’s it like for the performers?

After being in the show for so long, I can forget how amazing it is. But then I get backstage and hear the audience. I come down the aisles [during the opening number] and hear the applause. Also, I walk toward the theater and see kids coming to the show with their Simba plush toys, and they are so excited. Those are my reminders. It’s the people who really get you into what you’re doing and remind you of why you’re doing it.

How much advance notice do you get if you’re going on as Nala, Sarabi or Shenzi?

We’ll know in advance if they’ve got vacation or personal days. Otherwise, they’ll call about an hour before it’s time to go on, and we have to just shift gears and get there. I feel very blessed to have that responsibility…that they can call me and even trust me to go on when it’s an opening night.

Is it hard to get ready with just an hour’s notice?

Because I’ve done it for so long, it’s a bit easier to slip into the different roles. When they call me I practice that, see where I am vocally and get into whatever mindset I need to be in. As the adult Nala, I have to find the solution to the problem of my crumbling home. As I’m singing, I visualize things in my life that I’ve lost, or something I wish would be resurrected. For Sarabi, I think of my mother [a recently retired teacher], and how regal and gracious she always is. Shenzi is a little more suited to my own personality. I am quite silly. I love to laugh. It’s very fun, because she’s very out there.

For information, call (504)287-0351 or visit www.mahaliajacksontheater.com

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Every other month Friends of the Cabildo offers its Hidden Treasures Tour, which highlights one part of the Cabildo’s collection. This month’s tour will focus on the Cabildo’s Newcomb Pottery collection featuring works from the Arts & Crafts Movement of the late 1800s.

The work created during the Arts & Crafts Movement stressed individual craftsmanship and natural motifs such as the flora and fauna of the region, simple and often linear design and preservation of the character of the materials used. New Orleans artists such as William Woodward—Tulane’s first art instructor—became an integral part of the movement during the 1884-1885 Cotton Centennial Exposition. Newcomb pottery is typified by its use of local imagery such as magnolias and cypress trees with Spanish moss.

Hidden Treasures Tours are particularly interesting because they offer a behind-the-scenes look at the Louisiana State Museum’s collection. They take place in the museum’s storage facility and are led by the Curator of Decorative Arts, Katie Hall. “It’s a long-awaited chance for people to see these pieces as they’ve been in storage since Hurricane Katrina,” explained Hall. “It also will provide art lovers with a sneak peek at the Cabildo’s fall exhibition, which will focus on the Newcomb pottery collection.”

For tour information, call (504)523-3939 or logon to www.friendsofthecabildo.org

(photo credit: Louisiana State Museum)

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More Arts Around Town

This month the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans will hold their 24th annual Art in Bloom fundraiser from March 14 to 18. This year’s theme is New Orleans: Life in Color – which, according to event co-chair Jenny Charpentier, “celebrates our city, its colorful traditions and its many creative inspirations.”

Sponsored by Whitney Bank, the four-day event includes many highlights: the kick-off Patron and Preview Party at NOMA, local artists’ interpretations of NOMA artwork expressed through floral arrangements, a fashion show by Saks Fifth Avenue at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, and lectures and demonstrations by Johnathan Andrew Sage, master floral designer, and Patrick Dunne, author of The Epicurean Collector and proprietor of Lucullus, a local culinary antique store.

“The support of visitors will go a long way to keeping New Orleans bright and colorful,” commented Gwathmey Gomila, an Art in Bloom co-chair. Proceeds benefit NOMA’s educational projects and exhibitions and the Garden Study Club’s community projects with Longue Vue Gardens and the Botanical Garden at City Park.

For more information visit www.noma.org or call (504) 658-4100

-BETH HERSTEIN

In the 40 years since Gerrie Bremermann started her business, much has changed, but principles of good design have not. Her throne is a functional white and black desk that looks down a flight of stairs to her shop that is filled with antique chairs, tables and sconces mixed with contemporary Lucite. The doyenne of interior design talks of self-effacing beginnings, changes in the industry and how she creates rooms that have character and longevity.

“In the 40s and 50s, stores like D.H.Holmes, Hemingway and the 20th Century Shop had in-house decorators. You’d go to the store and they would plan your rooms, sell you the furniture and ‘do’ your house. You’d pick out fabric at Halpern’s and they would make the curtains free! Imagine!” joked Bremermann, whose signature rooms mix heirlooms with antiques, modern accents and art.

Like many woman of her era, Bremermann was an accomplished seamstress. She made her daughters’ wedding dresses and clothes for herself that landed her on the Best Dressed lists. Clothes led to curtains, curtains led to slipcovers and all of that led to being asked to create a room for the first Junior League Show House.

“I didn’t consider myself a decorator so I asked for a small room. I got a bathroom. I went to a local showroom and bought fabulous fabric for about $1.50 a yard and covered everything, even the walls, with fabric. People loved it. Suddenly, I had clients and was in business. Back then things like that happened. It was perfect timing in my life; I was 45 and ready take on something new.”

‘New’ meant throwing herself into decorating, retailing and shopping for clients in France and England once or twice a year. “I opened my first shop on St. Charles Avenue in 1980 and in 1992 I moved to Magazine Street. It was a nice location but nothing like the hub it is today. I think it’s the most exciting shopping street in the city now.”

Forty years after that Junior League Show House, Bremermann is going strong with clients who span generations of families and cross endless time zones. She has garnered stacks of press in magazines like Architectural Digest, Southern Accents, and House Beautiful. Still, the acknowledged connoisseur of interior design maintains a humble stance mixed with humor and an ability to educate, nurture and enlighten clients and friends with not a drop of condescension. “I never forget that I am at the service of the client and not the other way around.”

In today’s world of catalogs, instant chic and stylish retailers such as Design Within Reach, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, one can’t avoid asking the obvious: In a world that offers immediate designs, does one really need a proper decorator to make a statement?

“Some of those places have terrific, interesting and clever things,” said Bremermann, who has included pieces from those sources in some of her work. “For people who want that look and are happy to toss it out for the next trend, it’s a way to go. But if you want to decorate once, and then as time goes by give it a little nip here, tuck there, you hire a decorator.

“With a decorator, you make a plan that may happen in a year or over many years. If you incorporate things dear to you and buy the very best furniture, accessories and art, you will not tire of them. They will make a statement about your taste for a long time,” said Bremermann. “I have a young couple who may buy a piece of furniture once every year or two but it is classic and the best their budget will allow. I feel sure their home will be beautiful whether they stay in their present house or move someplace else.”

A walk through Bremermann’s condominium is a testament to her beliefs. Completed some 20 years ago, the apartment is awash in Benjamin Moore #957; tone-on-tone white, beige to greige, and back to white again. It is decorated with a mix of a comfortable sofa, tailored ottomans, chairs with deep down cushions, Lucite tables (once meant for cigarettes and now hosting a book or cocktail) and French polished antiques that glow with a patina only achieved with age. There have been a few updates but no massive overhaul. And that’s her approach to all she takes on.

Known for her calm, elegant rooms, Bremermann is often teased for her love of white. “I love color. Really I do. And I do color,” she said, showing a photo of a solarium with recently installed poison apple green curtains. “But, you know, I always have this feeling for white. There are a million whites. White is fresh, glamorous and elegant. It works with every complexion; blondes look wonderful in a white room and how beautifully white frames the face of women with exotic skin!”

Aside from white, other hallmarks in a Gerrie Bremermann project include:

• Comfortable furniture. “I always say: ‘Have furniture you, your family and guests can actually sit in and on. No little chairs one has to perch on!’ Even my small tables are weighted, stable and not something that will go over with a swat.”

• Modern art. “I love contemporary art mixed with antiques. … I believe in supporting local artists; we have so much talent in this city.”

• Mirrors, chandeliers and candlelight; elements that add glitter, glow and soften a room.

• Pretty glassware and handsome cutlery.

• Collections that appear to have been gathered over many years of interesting travel.

• Scented candles. Nothing overwhelming; a pleasant fragrance that calms and soothes.

‘Soothe’ is an interesting word and one that applies well to Bremermann’s work, whether in a grand salon or a simple beach condo. Her rooms are beautiful, elegant and serene; when someone enters one of them; the harmonious design elements calmly surround the individual and make them the center of attention.

-DIANE SUSTENDAL

There are certain things in life that are okay in surplus amounts, such as money in the bank, crabmeat, bacon, chocolate and shoes. I am enthusiastic to announce that this month New Orleans will have an overabundance of fashion affairs. In fact, there are so many fashion events, it will be impossible to experience them all without a body double.

This month, the city will host two full weeks of runway presentations, educational seminars, trunk shows and pop-up marketplaces put on by two fantastic groups of individuals. There is NOLA Fashion Week (NOLAFW), organized by the NOLA Fashion Council (NOLA FC), and, later in the month, Fashion Week New Orleans will host their events as well. These two fashion weeks, though similar in theory and audience, are not associated. On paper it is challenging to distinguish between the two—the Plessey vs. Ferguson of fashion weeks—but they are separate and equally significant. NOLA Fashion Week and Fashion Week New Orleans have contrasting creative and artistic philosophies on how fashion in New Orleans should be perceived.

When this phenomenon occurred in March 2011, I was dazed and confused as to what was what and who was who. I was intrigued that we have individuals eager to produce two full-scale fashion weeks, yet skeptical that we would have enough people to fill the venues and pay for tickets. Over the past year, I have conversed with the organizers of both fashion weeksevents to clear any confusion that fashion followers may have. To aid in answering your inquiries about NOLA Fashion Week and Fashion Week New Orleans, consult the information below. I am confident that by the end of March we will pass out in a blissful fashion overdose.

Accolades

Fashion is more than a sexy runway show; it is a huge global industry encompassing manufacturing and logistics and is often not pretty. It takes years of hard work and perseverance to build a brand and credibility. The intention of the NOLA FC is to assist in furthering the careers of those interested in this industry. The cost of tickets to events for NOLA Fashion Week will support the growth of a New Orleans-centered, southern-based fashion industry. These emerging designers find inspiration in our city’s rich culture and prefer to continue to live, work and produce their wares in New Orleans. NOLA FC produces these events for fashion lovers, industry insiders and local businesses to demonstrate that New Orleans has the potential to have a viable economic impact our city and state’s economies. I believe, do you?

To donate and purchase tickets: www.nola-fashionweek.com/support

Fashion for Fun

Music, cocktails and fire fighters as models, oh my! The shows at Fashion Week New Orleans are a balanced mix of designers competing for the title of “Top Designer,” as well as ready-to-wear spring fashions from local boutiques and large-scale retailers. This year’s events include a Fashion Career Day at Saks Fifth Avenue on March 23 and a bridal expo at the Westin hosted in partnership with Wedding Style Magazine on March 25. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Fashion Institute of New Orleans, NO/AIDS Task Force, Dress for Success and the Fire Fighters Foundation.

To purchase tickets: www.fashionweeknola.com

Wait, there’s more!

Fashion for Fido – Alegria

On Sunday, March 4, the LA/SPCA will host its fourth annual fashion show and auction at the W Hotel. The show will feature the designs of John Delgadillo, the winner of the 2011 competition, Alicia Zenobia and other up-and-coming designers. It is plausible that you will find wearable furry creations on the runway; however, Alegria is fashion intended for those with two legs, not four. Proceeds from the event benefit the LA/SPCA. Ticket prices start at $25.

All details can be found at: www.la-spca.org/alegria

Now, on with the show. Happy Fashion Weeks!

-AIMEE GOWLAND

Click image for shopping details

Click image for shopping details

Styles curated by Leslie J. Almeida

Tamron Hall, the smart, attractive, quick-witted anchor for MSNBC’s popular weekday show NewsNation, strives to bring her viewers the latest and greatest in high-profile interviews and up-to-the-minute world, U.S. and entertainment news. Gutsy, forthright and armed with an unshrinkable quest for compelling stories, Hall demonstrates her passion for the news through her spirited coverage of significant events such as President Obama’s live broadcast from Ground Zero after Osama Bin Laden’s death. She also encourages viewers to get involved and express their thoughts regarding controversial stories via social media during her Gut Check and We Just Thought You Should Know segments.

Hall has hosted several special reports that have garnered both an Emmy nomination and an award. She also received Temple University’s prestigious Lew Klein Alumni in the Media award in 2010. Mesmerized by New Orleans, the native Texan even goes so far as to proclaim that her love for this city rivals her love for her home.

Good morning, Tamron. Since we’re both southern girls, let’s just take a poll to see whose mom called the most this morning before this interview began.

Ah ha! [Laughs]. Well, I’ve already talked to my mom four times this morning and got two text messages.

OK, you win by two phone calls and a text.

My mom and I are thick as thieves; we’re best friends but a Southern mom is going to discipline you. You get the best of both worlds. …She’s there to offer support when I’m uncertain about things and give advice on the substantive things. But if she doesn’t like my lipstick or my dress, she is going to let me know.

You cover a great mix of news, from world events to entertainment. With any topic, what is it that really interests you about a story?

Whether it’s a story of tragedy or of hope, the common thread is it’s about people. I love learning about others and hearing about their journeys and how they made news. Today, for example, there’s a weather development in Alabama, but really the story is about how the weather affects people and that’s what drew me to the news.

I was a five-year-old kid in Luling, Texas, who’d go visit my grandfather’s neighbor, Mamma Susie, who was around 100 years old. I would sit there and braid her hair and talk with her in her tiny shotgun house when the other kids were out playing jacks, and it was the best time of my life.

You brought up entertainment; Heidi Klum and Seal announced their separation and people were responding to these two people we’ll never meet, but it still hits you because this couple has children and you think about your family or someone you know. I think we gravitate towards an entertainment story like that because of that common thread, and even those with glamorous lives still have the same struggles that many married couples have.

The best stories touch nerves in people. Eventful weather stories bring it home to post-Katrina New Orleans.

Yes, and when you speak about a tragedy, the first instinct is to help and that’s the common thread because we all know it could be us. You may not instantly say, “Oh, that could be me!” but I promise you will within a few hours of the flooding images. You ask, “How could Katrina happen and how can we make sure this never happens again?” That’s how news is. We don’t do this for the rubbernecking aspect; we want you to see the story and have it affect and inform you.

How timely was it to have scored an interview with then-Senator Barrack Obama shortly before he announced his run for president when you were still at WFLD in Chicago?

Oh, it was a big accomplishment and I had interviewed him many times before; he was in Chicago and had run for a state office and lost. There were these big rumors of him wanting to run for senate and he won and of course from there he took off for his next move. We had an opportunity to interview him right before he made the announcement that he’d be running for office, so the timing was fantastic and I was fortunate enough to be there in Chicago at that time.

You’re active on Twitter and Facebook. How do you see social media shaping the news?

I use Twitter all the time; it gives great insight into what people are thinking and saying. I like the immediacy and brevity of Twitter and I also go on Facebook several times a day. The unrest in Iran was a complete shut out of the media and that was the moment in time when so many people realized the value of Twitter to the process of collecting information to report. Were it not for Twitter, we wouldn’t have seen those images. It was a reminder that you can get powerful information without waiting for the paper the next day.

You are outspoken about causes near and dear to you, and you have been recognized by Day One, a New York-based advocacy group for victims of domestic violence for your work and support of their efforts.

My sister was involved in a marriage filled with violence and she was murdered in her home. While no one was ever charged, the police named her then-husband as a person of interest. Just from my experience and learning so much about domestic abuse with young people, especially middle school to high school age, and given that I’ve been blessed with a platform of being on the news where we can bring such subjects to life, well, I don’t want to say it was a natural progression; I wasn’t sure that I wanted to talk about my family’s struggle, but if through it somehow I could help, that was the goal.

On a lighter note, is it true that you’re such a big fan of New Orleans, you can advise the locals about great places to go?

I love New Orleans. I visit a couple of times a year and it’s like a pilgrimage for me. Without New Orleans I wouldn’t be me and I know that sounds strange as a Texan but it rivals my love for Texas.

That’s so cool. Well, some of your favorite people are here …

Yes, [I] like Ruth Bodenheimer who runs the Lanaux Mansion. I met her when I was in New Orleans doing some pieces on Katrina. Hoda Kotb actually told me I had to go to Irene’s, so I went there early because I was by myself and didn’t want to look like the lonely-hearts club. Irene and her staff were so fantastic I went there the next night. It’s so delicious and has such a romantic atmosphere and Irene said, “I want you to meet Ruth.” She was so charming and eats there every night alone because her husband passed away, so I sat down with her and we talked politics, life and love and she’s just one of my favorite people. With people in New Orleans, I just can’t define it. I ran track in school so we went to Louisiana a lot, but when I went to New Orleans as an adult, I just felt like I was at home. It was this weird feeling of peace and it was provided by the people of New Orleans.

So what are some other favorite New Orleans haunts of yours?

I love, love, love that Haydel’s Bakery; that is the best king cake. MiLa is a beautiful, special-occasion place. Oh God, Stella! is another fantastic special-occasion place. I love that juicy burger and that baked potato at Port of Call. I just love that, in New Orleans, you can just as easily go down home with your jeans on and get down, or you can go upscale. People had this notion after Katrina that New Orleans would never be the same, and there were awful words like “You should take everyone out of there!” but the mending has been incredible, especially in the restaurant world. I went to New Orleans right after Katrina to work and I’d go to a restaurant and order something simple like eggs and there would be none. I remember when people put up all the Post-it notes in front of Camellia Grill and now I lovingly wait in that line in 90° humidity for that chili omelet and a milkshake. It’s like Heaven to me.

You’re admired for your style, Tamron, and some of that style is gleaned from your shopping expeditions in New Orleans.

Yes. Victoria’s on Magazine is one of the best boutiques in the country. The owner, Paula, has the best taste and the best sales. Whenever I wear something from Victoria’s, I am bombarded with emails from viewers asking about the item. I recently wore a coat on TODAY and I felt bad because it was the last one in the store and I had snapped it up, and so many people asked me about that coat.

You love dogs. You’ve got a couple of dogs and you’ve even been a co-host at the Westminster Dog Show.

Yes, I was a co-host for Westminster a few times. I have a Chihuahua and a Maltese and they are pretty funny; one is pretty mean and the other is pretty laid back. I always want to bring them to New Orleans with me but since I’m never in my hotel room for more than a second, I don’t bring them, but I’m sure they would have a good time as well. …A few years ago at a wedding the couple had their beagle as the ring bearer and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I thought if I ever get married—which it would be in New Orleans—I’d have to have my wedding there so the dogs could participate.

So you’d even have your wedding in New Orleans.

Which will probably never happen [laughs]. Watch, one day I’ll get married in New Orleans and my cake would be made of cake balls because I love the cake balls made by Stephanie Bernard, the pastry chef at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse. My producer Jennifer Llamas, a New Orleans native, got me addicted to [them]. She had the cayenne and the red velvet flavors, and I’m like, “There you go, that’s my wedding cake.”

Are there a lot of New Orleans connections at MSNBC?

Yes, it’s amazing. Melissa [Harris-Perry] just got her own show. Courtney Hazlett, the celebrity correspondent, attended Tulane. When the Saints play, good lord! In fact, the other day I had on a gold shirt and a black skirt and Jennifer said, “Oh, you have on the Saints’ colors today,” and I’m like, “No, that’s not what I planned.” [Laughs]. She even put it on Facebook. You New Orleans folks—you see that color combo and you can only think of one thing.

I’m thinking you may have planned that subconsciously.

[Laughs]. There’s a line in the sand and it is drawn. I know I’m supposed to have unconditional love for New Orleans and I do, but I’ll be a Cowboys fan ‘til the day I die.

-CHRISTINE FONTANA

In the public’s perception, the accounting profession is often considered math-intensive, heavy on the details, and more than a little dry. But Ralph Cox, a CPA and managing member at the local accounting firm, Bourgeois Bennett LLC, believes there’s much more to his field than meets the eye.

“I think the accounting profession, especially public accounting, is really about helping businesses find ways to accomplish their objectives. It’s showing them how to become more profitable, improve decisions and run better,” he said.

Founded in 1923, Bourgeois Bennett is most likely the oldest firm in the Greater New Orleans area with local roots. When Cox joined, its offices were downtown at the Hibernia Building where it had been since the 1940s, but after Heritage Plaza opened up just over the Jefferson Parish line, the firm decamped to the suburbs. The new location allowed quick access to downtown and also to the many family businesses throughout the area that are the firm’s specialty.

“Providing accounting services to family businesses is our forté,” said Cox. “There are unique characteristics in working with them because there’s always a family dynamic at play. It takes someone who understands these relationships.”

Family dynamics become particularly important when a business is passing from one generation to the next. For example, a son in a family business might take over from his father who is retiring or removing himself from day-to-day operations. This child may be capable and interested in the business, but suppose his siblings are not. If the business shares were split evenly, it wouldn’t be fair to the hard-working son. But on the other hand, the son has been taking a salary, which could be seen as drawing down company value for the remaining children.

“The solutions we suggest depend on the circumstances. You try to accomplish the business’s objectives and keep everyone satisfied,” Cox said, adding that full satisfaction is not always possible. “There are not a lot of family businesses that survive beyond the first generation, but some of our clients are on their third or fourth. I like to think we’ve played a part in their success and in their successions.”

In addition to doing accounting for family-owned and closely held businesses, Bourgeois Bennett handles personal tax returns, typically for high-net worth individuals with complex tax needs. The firm also does forensic accounting for litigation.

As one example, suppose an employee resigns from a company and is accused of breach of contract for taking off with clients or business interests. When the former employer takes legal action, it’s up to Bourgeois Bennett to quantify the damages so compensation can be pursued in the legal system. Another specialty of Bourgeois Bennett is class-action litigation, typically for industrial accidents. The firm’s role is to build and manage databases of claimants, quantify damage amounts and disperse the funds of a settlement.

Bourgeois Bennett has received a “Best Places to Work” designation from CityBusiness for two years running. “Our firm is only as good as the people who work here. We try to do our best to recruit and retain the best people we can.” said Cox. “To me a good place to work is first where people are comfortable with the ethical and professional environment and second where they get challenging assignments and job satisfaction. In this profession, there are a lot of demands and time constraints, so flexibility and the ability to control the work environment is also important.”

Although he still does accounting work, especially for his long-standing clients, Cox’s part at the firm has evolved into one of CEO. “My primary role is to be the face of the firm to all of our clients, especially our major ones, and to the community at large. I am also involved in management and achieving strategic objectives.” Cox spends much of his time serving on a number of different professional, civic and charitable foundation boards.

Cox grew up in Mid-City in New Orleans, not too far from Jesuit High School, which he attended. In college at LSU, he started out as an electrical engineering major. “One day as a junior, I woke up and said: ‘I’m not sure what I want to do, but it’s not this.’”

Cox transferred to UNO, and his computer science coursework led him to an introductory class in accounting, which proved to be a first step on a new career path. At night, Cox processed orders at a Ford parts depot in Arabi. When that plant was shuttered, Cox interviewed around at accounting firms.

“Bourgeois Bennett gave me the flexibility to work while going to school,” he recalled. “I started in 1969 and have been here ever since. I don’t regret anything about it.”

-HENRY ALPERT

There are not many people who at 38 have achieved as much as Nolan Rollins. In the proverbial haystack of those who want to make a positive change, he’s the needle who is actually doing it. Not only is Rollins sharp and focused, but his energy and love for New Orleans is extremely motivating. We chatted recently, and I found his ideas on education, the local economy and his goals as chairman of the New Orleans Aviation Board to be refreshing.

Rollins grew up in Baltimore, the child of a single mother who quickly understood the challenges of raising a young black male in the inner city. His mother took the risk of using a cousin’s address in another school district so she could properly educate her son. “She made a conscious decision to send me to a public school in Howard County and to do what was necessary for me to get a quality education,” said Rollins.

His mother’s efforts paid off. Rollins went on to Virginia State University to get his bachelor’s degree in public administration and economics and then onto the University of Baltimore to get his master’s in legal, ethical and historical studies. Afterwards, he attended law school in Florida despite entertaining the idea of working on Wall Street. “It struck me as the type of opportunity that would have me directly connected to understanding global and local markets,” said Rollins. “If you know how resources flow, you understand the priorities of a city, a nation and even the world.”

Rollins served as the eastern region vice president of the National Urban League Young Professionals before becoming the CEO of the Urban League in New Orleans in 2007. Since then, he has been devoted to making a positive change in the city, especially in education. He’s created the Urban League Parent Information Center that encourages parents to work with their local schools and with PTAs to make an impact on students and their community. He’s seen successes but also notes some challenges. “There are still parents who are not engaged in the education system because it seems like it is unwelcoming to them,” he explained.

Rollins spoke candidly about tourism and how it shapes the career paths of young people living here. “If tourism is what your economy is, then [tourism jobs] are what you’re going to produce, but any city who depends on a single economic driver to ensure its success is destined to fail,” said Rollins. “We’re going to have to be entrepreneurial [by] getting into medical, biomedical and technology. School systems are going to have to produce at a very high level. If we don’t and we think there won’t be competition from kids around the nation to come here and work, we are sorely mistaken.”

Rollins has also developed the Urban League College Track to educate students about campus life, academic affairs and what it means to be a good citizen. “These are the things that prepare kids for college. We teach them how to do those things, challenge them to get it done and hold them responsible for what they’re doing right now so they can actually be in the picture of the future,” said Rollins.

As head of the Aviation Board, Rollins has solid plans for improving the services provided at Louis Armstrong by incorporating more of the local culture that will amaze tourists and make locals proud. That effort has almost doubled the amount of jobs. “An airport this size needs a staff of almost 300 people. We were around 115, and now we’re closer to 200,” said Rollins. “If you don’t have enough people to manage the day-to-day, you’re not operating the airport, the airport is operating you.”

Rollins also plans to upgrade the overall look of the terminals, improve cleanliness and enhance the quality of food and retail outlets. This is where his background in economics plays a big role. “You have to have a business plan for the airport. It’s more than just flights coming in and out; it’s one of the largest economic drivers for the region, bar none.”

When not working, Rollins spends time with 8-year-old son Mason and his wife Michelle who is also a lawyer. “Well, she’s the boss; I only get to play a CEO on TV,” he said, laughing. “We don’t always agree. You can never get two people to always agree, let alone two lawyers.”

When talking about his future goals, Rollins said he was born to be “an active servant” and enjoys conquering organizational challenges. “I am not a maintenance person. If it’s broken and needs to be worked on or developed, that’s what I want to do,” he said. Although driven, he doesn’t think a role in politics is in his future. “I don’t know if politics is ready for a person like me. The wonderful thing about an organization like the Urban League is that it’s about getting done what we say we’re going to do…nothing more, nothing less. That’s important to me.”

Politician, maybe not. Honest? Definitely.

-JEANNE SOUDERS

Avenue Pub. You’ll find your favorite beer on an infinite list of draft and bottled brews made locally and all over the globe. The food is a cut above too. There’s the chicken, cucumber and kiwi sandwich with bread slathered with cucumber cream cheese, as well as fried wontons filled with either red beans and rice or jalapeño, cream cheese and bacon. Avenue Pub also carries an impressive offering of bourbons and Scotch whiskeys.

1732 St. Charles Avenue, (504) 586-9243, www.avenuepub.com

Cure. This innovative cocktail bar also led the way to the Freret Street resurgence and continues to craft seasonal, unique drinks—try the full-bodied Two Fathers, a rich grape blossom of fortified wine, bourbon, absinthe and a wonderfully smoky rhubarb amaro—and the small plates that go with them. This time of year, that means warm curried lentils with squash and nutmeg croutons, pulled pork arepas topped with ginger-spiked cream and chicken pot pie served with a long snap of roasted fennel.

4905 Freret Street, (504) 302-2357, www.curenola.com

Café B. Restaurant maestro Ralph Brennan intended this to be a neighborhood draw, but it’s also bringing city locals to this part of Old Metairie. Clever spins on comfort food—like green eggs and ham with a poached egg, crisp-tender asparagus, prosciutto and bacon-studded hollandaise or boudin and pork belly served with a hand-rolled buttermilk biscuit—make this bistro feel like your mama’s house. For special occasions, indulge in Chef Chris Montero’s signature ravioli stuffed with lobster, shrimp and goat cheese and topped with champagne-swirled butter sauce.

2700 Metairie Road, (504) 934-4700, www.cafeb.com

Café NOMA. Whether you’ve just spent an hour gazing at art or playing tennis, this is the place to duck inside for an inspired snack. Restaurateur Ralph Brennan has refined the café with a tranquil view of the sculpture garden. The menu includes colorful salads and a list of sandwiches and sliders, including one version loaded with pepper-roasted chicken, goat cheese and grape chutney and another focaccia-grounded version of a Caprese salad. There’s even a kids’ menu with upscale grilled cheese and a flatbread pizza.

#1 Collins Diboll Circle, City Park, (504) 482–1264, www.cafenoma.com

Delachaise. Great little plates, a mile-long wine list and beers from around the world are hallmarks of this treasure box of a pub that is also non-smoking. String together cozy tables and make a meal from crunchy, roasted corn cakes topped with smoked salmon, or small grilled cheese sandwiches made sublime with creamy young Asiago cheese and apple butter. For bigger appetites, try the Cuban sandwich served with freshly fried yucca.

3442 St. Charles Avenue, (504) 895-0858, www.thedelachaise.com

Dooky Chase. This legendary restaurant in Tremé has a speakeasy quality to it. There’s no website and the dining room could pass as your granny’s parlor if she had an amazing collection of African-American art and an equally amazing lunchtime buffet. Leah Chase’s grandson Edgar is now managing the kitchen and still turning out crispy-topped mac and cheese, lima beans and shrimp étouffée, tender full-flavored fried chicken and dreamy peach cobbler.

2301 Orleans Avenue, (504) 821-0600

MiLa. French-trained chefs and spouses, Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing, keep things remarkably light, using techniques like reducing sauces instead of adding cream. Earlier than most, the Rushings contracted with a local farm to get seasonal produce and it shines in their grilled corn soup and lemon blueberry tart, as well as the grapefruit vinaigrette, heirloom tomato gelée and poached rhubarb that accent truly gorgeous dishes.

817 Common Street, (504) 412-2580, www.marriottmarketing.com/ord/production/MSYBR_MilaNewOrleans/

Oak Wine Bar

Oak Wine Bar. This chic spot on Oak Street features a pale, wide open room and long marble bar, perfect for hand-crafted cocktails such as the “8118” that is sunny with citrus, basil leaves and vodka. There are also gorgeous small plates, including mousse-like burrata cheese paired with roasted pears and greens, all drizzled with local honey vinaigrette. Another sauce, a tamarind-orange glaze, brightens crispy plantains, whipped avocado and fried duck rillettes. The deconstructed Gulf shrimp tacos perched on tortillas are ready to assemble any way you like with pickled vegetables and lime sour cream. On weekends, the full menu is available past midnight and there’s live music.

8118 Oak Street, (504) 302-1485, www.oaknola.com

Pizzicare. Hefty New York-style pizzas are grounded in a chewy, flaky-crisp crust and topped with locally fresh produce—much of it sourced from a community garden next door—as well as house-made sausages and meatballs from restaurateurs Bart Bell and Jeff Baron’s other venture, Crescent Pie and Sausage. Every week features a NOLA Roots Garden pie, recently composed of a vibrant mosaic of beets, squash and mustard greens. We’re partial to the Bianca calzone, stuffed with ricotta cheese, breaded chicken and roasted garlic cloves and the crust-wrapped smoked sausage, served with your choice of dipping sauce. Now you can also order online.

3001 Tulane Avenue, (504) 301-4823, www.pizzicare.com

Shake Sugary. Pastry chef Dawn Snead has made a splash in Marigny with her artisan cupcakes, pastries and sweet breads. She adds signature touches to her treats: fresh tarragon makes its way into chocolate shortbread cookies; jasmine green tea is paired with citrus in a quick bread; and the Hummingbird cake is composed of spiced banana, pineapple and pecan cakes, held together with ginger cream cheese frosting. An ever-expanding vegan menu includes muffins, sweet rolls and cookies.

3600 St. Claude Avenue, (504) 355-9345, www.shakesugary.com

Oak Wine Bar. This chic spot on Oak Street features a pale, wide open room and long marble bar, perfect for hand-crafted cocktails such as the “8118” that is sunny with citrus, basil leaves and vodka. There are also gorgeous small plates, including mousse-like burrata cheese paired with roasted pears and greens, all drizzled with a local honey vinaigrette. Another sauce, a tamarind-orange glaze, brightens crispy plantains, whipped avocado and fried duck rillettes. The deconstructed Gulf shrimp tacos perched on tortillas are ready to assemble any way you like with pickled vegetables and lime sour cream. On weekends, the full menu is available past midnight and there’s live music.

8118 Oak Street, (504) 302-1485, www.oaknola.com

Tamarind. Named for the sweet-tart fruit, chef Dominique Macquet’s latest venture is in the revamped Hotel Modern and helmed by chef de cuisine Quan Tran. The French-Vietnamese menu is a perfect blend of local cultures and plays out on the plate in the lemongrass-cured salmon topped with wasabi crème fraîche and a duck confit tarted up with citrus fleur de sel and hoisin-cider vinaigrette—all plated with a bok choy salad. For dessert, there’s a cinnamon molten cake that melts along with Vietnamese coffee ice cream. Mixologists Kimberly Patton-Bragg and Michael Glassberg are the talents behind the bar.

936 St. Charles Avenue, (504) 962-0900, www.thehotelmodern.com

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Valentine’s Day Finds

What do these eateries have in common? On Valentine’s Day, they’re the satin around your rose bouquet:

M Bistro

For a sexy setting:

M Bistro. Even if you aren’t tucked away in the luxuriously draped “cheaters” booths, this swank dining room—with its flattering natural light, well-spaced tables and Ritz-inspired opulence—gives off a rich, chic vibe. Executive chef Vinny Russo and chef de cuisine Emily Dillport have streamlined the plating so that even the succulent smoked pork chop comes simply with a pot of house-made pepper jelly and a pot of mac and cheese. Likewise, trim and crunchy grit-and-Gouda sticks appear with the honey-glazed shrimp. For dessert, try the deconstructed PB&J made with peanut butter ice cream, brioche doughnut, grape jelly and caramel brittle. The sexiest finish here is composed of peaches roasted in bourbon vanilla with a puddle of white chocolate mousse and sparkling white peach sorbet.

921 Canal Street, (504) 524-1331, www.ritzcarlton.com

For a martini:

The Bombay Club. One of the Quarter’s treasured clubs, with romantic private booths, free nightly jazz and an eye toward everything cocktail (the chilled shrimp is served with gin-spiked cocktail sauce in a martini glass.) To that end, Bombay Club boasts a sweeping original cocktail list, thanks to former bar manager Cheryl Charming, who writes recipes with plenty of sex appeal and takes on the standards with style. Whether you’re thirsty for something romantic like the French Vanilla 75 with vanilla cognac, lusty such as the Womanhattan based on rye whiskey and Chambord or clever like potato vodka, chilled and garnished with Andouille sausage, you’re in the right place. And if you’re truly hungry, order the 22-ounce rib eye, glistening with foie gras butter.

830 Conti Street, (504) 586-0972, www.thebombayclub.com

To share dessert:

Green Goddess. Just beyond the Green Goddess’ trailblazing lunch and dinner menus is a dessert list, ripe with invention, from chefs Paul Artigues and Chris DeBarr. Start small with a wide choice of cheeses; one is rubbed with fennel pollen and lavender while another is bound with a rind made of herbs, chocolate and rose petals. For a sweet plate, look no further than the Sultan’s Nest, a spectacular composition of shredded phyllo drizzled with saffron honey and candied orange peel and topped with both absinthe and pistachio gelato balls. You’ll want two spoons for Saturn Calling, a bowl of black rice cooked with coconut milk, ringed by a mango and amaretto purée, trippy and fantastic. You also might share a sundae towering with praline ice cream and bacon-flecked caramel sauce. For hand-held goodness, try the French toast stuffed with bittersweet chocolate and caramelized goat cheese; a drizzle of cane syrup sweetens the deal.

307 Exchange Place, (504) 301-3347, www.greengoddessnola.com

To hop a romantic carriage ride:

Sylvain. Fittingly, this dark, intimate tavern was once a carriage house; now it’s a nod to old-world New Orleans and one of the coolest places in the French Quarter, offering a steady menu of upscale bar food. This high-low concept makes up the appetizer of Veuve Clicquot and hand-cut fries, as well as the rustic antipasti (with a pickled farm egg), rugged sheets of house-made pasta with Bolognese sauce and braised beef cheeks with whipped potatoes. The cocktail list changes often and is always worth sampling. As for the ride, just go down a block to Jackson Square.

625 Chartres Street, (504) 265-8123, www.sylvainnola.com

To bring your single friends:

Bar UnCommon. This underrated lobby space is padded with stuffed sofas, thick pillows and glitters with candles and mirrored mosaics. It also has The Nook, a private room just off the bar and walled off with a swinging bead curtain. Inside, there’s plenty of space to lounge, watch TV or savor a good cocktail—their able bartenders can make almost anything, and you can also ask for private bottle service. If you’re hungry for more than a “chill” night out, try the beautiful tomato salad tossed with chewy cornbread croutons and a chunky blue cheese vinaigrette. The goat cheese ravioli are also an indulgence, bobbing in a creamy tomato and cheese sauce. Dessert should be berries and freshly whipped cream. Whatever you choose, it all comes from MiLa’s expert kitchen.

817 Common Street, (504) 525-1111, www.baruncommon.com/index.php

Best-paired food and cocktails:

Lilette and Bouligny Tavern. One side is a chic wine bar, but be sure not to overlook the broad selection of single-shot pours, including grappas, eaux de vie and Calvados. There’s also a clever list of original cocktails—we’re partial to the sage julep, an earthier, more sultry version of the race day classic. A few steps next door will find you at Lilette, a breezy French bistro known for delicate dishes prepared by owner and chef John Harris. The roasted chicken breast with tangy-sweet balsamic glazed onions is perfection, as is grilled hanger steak with red wine sauce that’s touched with bone marrow. Steady—and seductive—on the dessert menu is goat cheese whipped with cream, then mounded with poached pears and lavender honey.

3641 Magazine Street, (504) 891-1810, www.boulignytavern.com

3637 Magazine Street, (504) 895-1636, www.liletterestaurant.com

-ANNE BERRY

We honeymooned here, but it wasn’t until my first Mardi Gras as a local that I fell crazy in love with New Orleans. Reporters who stay on Bourbon Street miss what can be an intensely romantic season of magical throws, dazzling floats, mysterious masks, white-tie parties (the only time I’ve ever needed elbow-long gloves), vintage love songs and cinnamon-spun cakes spread with sumptuous frosting. It’s no wonder our nieces and nephews think we live in fairyland.

This year, the link between Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day is a short seven days, so we checked in with krewe members and friends for their favorite love feasts:

Zulu. This year, glass artist J. Renée interpreted Zulu as a playing card King of Hearts and cooler than anything you’ll hold in a poker game. In keeping with the krewe’s theme, “From Zulu With Love,” she also dotted the limited edition, silkscreened poster with tiny Cupids. “It’s great to give as a Valentine’s gift,” said this native New Orleanian.

J. Renée’s pick for a romantic night in the city is Maximo’s Italian Grill. “The staff always seems to know to put you in a quiet corner or a booth,” she said. On her birthday one year, she and her significant other were seated on the balcony, and the owner sent out a bottle of wine as a gift. “We sat there a long time,” said Renée. “They let you take your time.” She favors Maximo’s fire-roasted chicken and sausage, as well as the fire-roasted scallops—all sautéed in pepper-infused olive oil and layered with warm vegetables. If the owner brings out house-made grappa, you’ve just been dealt a winning hand.

Muses. Lt. Col. Raquel “Rocky” Deckert of the Marine Corps Reserves isn’t usually free on Valentine’s night. As the owner of New Orleans Party and Costume, she’s “back-to-back ballooning” for restaurants that buy her silver and red balloons as festive room fillers. For a special night—like their August 8 wedding anniversary—this member of Muses and her husband, Col. Paul “Bubba” Deckert, also in the Reserves, love the classic elegance of Restaurant August.

Last year they celebrated with rabbit sausage cassoulet and a savory seafood custard paired with caviar and brioche while Chef John Besh took a turn around the dining room. When Besh, a former Marine and war veteran, got to the Deckerts’ table, the trio clicked. “He’s naturally nice, laid back and confident,” said Rocky. Later, their dessert plate came out with “Happy Anniversary” written in chocolate. Charmed, Rocky wrote “thank you” in lipstick on the opposite side of the plate. “The food is absolutely fabulous, and they went over the top,” she said.

Krewe du Vieux. This irreverent krewe tapped Deon Haywood, executive director of Women with a Vision, as queen for 2012, honoring her agency’s outreach to economically and physically vulnerable women. “The krewe is putting our work front and center,” said Haywood.

Riding with her on the royal float —carriages, in this case—will be her partner, Shaquita Borden, who is the agency’s director of program development and at the same time, earning a doctorate at the University of Alabama. With their hectic schedules, “the most romantic time for us is two in the morning at Café du Monde when it’s quiet enough to talk and enjoy each other’s company,” said Haywood.

When it comes to a full-on feast, the ladies love Café Degas for its tropical patio and soft, low lighting. Haywood is partial to their egg-topped salad brightened with Dijon vinaigrette and crumbled Gorgonzola. On the other end of the menu, her favorite dish is a velvety rich sautéed calf’s liver in a wine sauce with caramelized onions and thickened with bone marrow and butter. “I’ll stick to any restaurant that’s true to New Orleans,” said Haywood.

Krewe of Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 732 N. Broad Street, (504) 827-1661

J. Renée’s online art gallery: www.jreneeart.com

Maximo’s Italian Grill, 1117 Decatur Street, (504) 586-8883

Krewe of Muses, 5500 Prytania Street, No. 621, (504) 269-1422

New Orleans Party and Costume, 705 Camp Street, (504) 525-4744

Restaurant August, 301 Tchoupitoulas Street, (504) 299-9777

Krewe du Vieux, contact them by email at captain@Kreweduvieux.org

Women with a Vision, 215 N. Jefferson Davis Parkway, (504) 301-0428

Café du Monde, 800 Decatur Street, (504) 525-4544

Café Degas, 3127 Esplanade Avenue, (504) 945-5635

-ANNE BERRY

We have debunked many nutrition myths in past articles. There are a few more worth mentioning, especially with so many trying to stick to New Year’s resolutions to be healthier. A lot of foods are seemingly healthy but may not have any nutritional value. Conversely, some foods can be good for you that may be perceived as unhealthy.

Beware of these nutritional pitfalls:

• Brown rice is much better for you than white rice. While brown rice has a little more fiber than white, it only has one gram of fiber per serving. The calories and carbohydrate content are the same for brown and white rice. Try a better choice such as bulgur, barley or quinoa; these grains have a higher fiber and protein content. Google interesting, quick and easy recipes for these nutrient dense whole grains.

• Hummus is a healthy snack. While hummus is not necessarily bad for you, it does not contain a lot of fiber or protein, making it low in nutritional value and high in calories and carbohydrates. Plus, it’s very easy to overeat—three tablespoons is an appropriate portion. And, beware: If you’re dipping pita in hummus, you’re getting a double dose of carbs and calories. If you love hummus, enjoy it as a spread on a sandwich or dip with veggies instead of pita bread.

• Fiber One brownies are a healthy alternative to cookies or regular brownies. While Fiber One brownies are appropriately portioned at 90 calories each and can make a tasty treat, the fiber is not the same as traditional fiber found in whole grains, vegetables and fruit. The fiber used in these brownies is derived from chicory root or insulin. These sources of fiber are not bad for you, but do not provide the same health benefits as traditional fiber sources.

• Red meat raises cholesterol and should be avoided in a healthy diet. You can enjoy lean sources of red meat. Lean beef (lower in saturated fat) can be leaner than certain cuts of turkey. Look for cuts with “loin” or “round” in the name. Ninety-three percent lean ground meat, filet and flank steak are all good examples.

• Popcorn is junk food. It depends on how it is prepared. Beware of most movie popcorn, as it is prepared in saturated, fatty oils. Popcorn is a whole grain (three grams of fiber per serving), and prepared at home in unsaturated oils like olive or canola oil, it can be a healthy, filling snack. Also, try convenient 100-calorie microwaveable bags, which come in a variety of flavors.

• Sugar is always bad. Try to buy foods unsweetened—plain yogurt for example, and add your own sugar. It’s only four calories per gram so there’s nothing wrong with adding a pack or two to your yogurt or coffee, costing you only 12 calories. Beware of companies that pre-sweeten foods because you’re getting a lot more than if you added it yourself. It only takes a small amount to get the desired sweet taste.

• Turkey bacon is better for you than regular bacon. Actually, turkey bacon is higher in sodium than regular bacon. All bacon is only about 30 to 35 calories per slice. Go ahead and enjoy a couple of slices but choose center-cut bacon that is a little lower in saturated fat. Eat turkey bacon only of you prefer the taste.

A healthy, balanced diet should include all the foods you love.

You’ve got questions? Our nutritionist, Elesha Kelleher, LDN, RD, MPH has the answers.
E-mail her at ekelleher@ochsner.org

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event and about one every minute will die from one. These are some startling statistics, but there are precautions you can take not to become an addition to this heart-wrenching trend.
The first thing you have to do is visit your doctor. “I would say the most important thing is to assess your risk,” said Dr. Zehra Jaffery, a cardiologist at Ochsner St. Anne. “Once you know that, you have to take proper precautions.” Taking the right precautions is very easy, according to Jaffery; there are six components:

• Weight Reduction. Monitor your BMI (body mass index) and if the ratio between your height and weight is above normal—25 percent—you need to reduce your weight.
• Exercise. Jaffery recommends walking on level ground at least 30 minutes a day five times a week.
• Blood Pressure. If your blood pressure is high, address it. It’s not enough to know it’s high and take medicine for it; you need to control it. Know what your goal blood pressure should be.
• Cholesterol. The target levels vary from person to person, so be sure to discuss your level with your doctor. It’s important to keep your good cholesterol (HDL) at proper levels to keep bad
  cholesterol (LDL) low from clogging your arteries.
• Diabetes. Controlling blood sugar is imperative. According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have death rates two to four times higher than those who don’t.
• Smoking. “If you smoke, all bets are off,” said Jaffery. Unfortunately, she’s seen people as young as 30 requiring cardiac bypass. Bottom line…just don’t do it. If you do, adopt a plan to quit; it’s difficult but not impossible.

Jaffery mentions that the typical age range for men and women differs in terms of cardiac risk. For non-smoking women, risk for a heart attack starts at 55. For non-smoking men, they would have to be concerned about a heart attack 10 years earlier. Despite a later age of the onset of cardiac issues in women, their outcome is often worse.

The symptoms of a heart attack are also different between sexes. “Most men have a feeling of an elephant on their chest associated with weakness, palpitations, and sweating during their heart attack,” said Jaffery. “Women usually do not report similar symptoms. They experience a feeling of extreme exhaustion for no apparent reason, indigestion or a new onset of shortness of breath with exertion.” No matter what your gender, Jaffery stresses not to take any chances if you’re having symptoms suggestive of a heart attack. “What people usually do is wait and call their family or friends. That’s not the right approach because if you’re having symptoms, you need to call 911 immediately. With the heart, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

This month there are a few decadent things transpiring about town. I am not speaking of scandalous costume balls or of delicious chocolates, but of new and noteworthy stores to add to our flourishing fashion repertoire.

The Shops at Canal Place added some notable retail venues within the last year and, like the city, has been fortunate to avoid some of the fateful economic trends most malls across the country have faced. The effervescent energy that New Orleans is experiencing correlates to favorable consumer spending. In 2011, Canal Place secured high-profile brands such as Michael Kors, J. Crew and French Sole. Brooks Brothers had a facelift and Home and Garden moved to a larger space. General Manager Lisa Marse Manzella is anticipating even more new retail for 2012. “It is because of the continued successes of both the city and The Shops that we are able to draw retailers exclusive to our city and state,” she said. Persuading new retailers takes time; however, when prominent companies see renowned stores like Anthropologie or Saks Fifth Avenue thriving, The Shops becomes an attractive location. “Currently, we have a list of clients we are courting and a few prospects that are in negotiations,” stated Manzella.

Je Amie les Chaussures!

Melanie Perret, local owner of French Sole New Orleans, chose to open her shoe boutique in Canal Place because of its central location and customer base. She connected with the owners of the French Sole location in Manhattan, fell in love with their product and recognized that a store here would be an ideal fit for the city and this location. “We carry the perfect walking shoe for the tourist customer and our local lady-about-town,” said Vaughn Thames, the store’s manager. You’ll find a variety of trendy and classic footwear—the majority are flats—that costs from $100 to $325. “Selection, style and comfort at an affordable price is what every woman looks for in a pair of shoes,” said Perret. “We are here to help women express themselves in a stylish yet comfortable manner.” What’s not to love?

If Cupid Missed

Many deem Valentine’s Day as a marketing scam devised by card companies to swindle us into purchasing saccharine greeting cards and overpriced roses or to excuse poor service at a restaurant. As luck or love would have it this year, instead of fighting for a reservation or watching your flowers droop, go check out the new J. Crew. This apparel mega-brand, famous for classic American staples such as cashmere cardigans, khakis and Oxford shirts, as well as their more fashionable collections, is slated to open on V-day. “J. Crew is so excited to be a part of The Shops at Canal Place and New Orleans,” said Market Director Erik Meadors. The new store will occupy the large space on the first floor adjacent to Anthropologie. Toast your love of fashion this day and grab one of their No. 2 pencil skirts. With its flattering fit, it’s a pre-requisite for every wardrobe.

Project Canal Place

Michael Kors, successful American sportswear designer and Project Runway judge, opened his lifestyle-brand boutique next to BCBG right before the Thanksgiving rush. The location carries his basics, such as oversized aviator framed sunglasses, a bevy of boots and wedges, his logo-heavy handbags, watches and some sportswear. On a recent visit, I was not sure if there was an episode being filmed for Real Housewives of Orange County or was all the clientele tall, tan and blonde? Though I was quite contrary from the customers that particular afternoon, the lovely and attentive manager, Kelly Fazende, was able to satisfy my need for awe-inspiring and suggestive footwear.

Bon Bons

If you truly desire something to satiate your need for anything other than fashion this Valentine’s Day, Sucré opened a precious pop-up shop on the first floor. Recharge after your cardio-shopping experience with treats like stylishly hued macaroons or pastries packaged like couture from this sweet boutique.

Love Makes the Heart Mad

If anyone was in Canal Place on Black Friday, it was evident that this once tranquil place, usually short on crowds the day after Thanksgiving, was full of animated and energetic shoppers. This Canal Street anchor is lively with consumers from here and across the globe. No need for a lover this month when you can feed your passion for fashion at The Shops of Canal Place.

-AIMÉE GOWLAND

Click image for shopping details

Click image for shopping details

Styles curated by Leslie J. Almeida

Valentine’s Day is a holiday meant to spend time with those we love and shower them with affection. To properly and imaginatively express your love, why not go beyond the flowers, chocolates and the crowded dinners to give that special someone—and perhaps yourself too—the gift of a spa treatment. At Spa Aria, located in the Monteleone Hotel on Royal Street, during Valentine’s Day weekend couples can have massages and pedicures together while enjoying a mimosa, glass of wine or champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.

“Our couples massage is becoming so popular. It’s side by side in the same room and we have the best massage therapists in the city,” said co-owner Sandy Blum. One of the massage therapists she was referring to is Brigette McCain, whose impressive handshake leaves no doubt as to her ability to make you relax and dissolve even the toughest of knots. “You could go somewhere else and get a deep tissue massage and feel like you’ve been beat up and bruised. Our therapists are trained to prepare the muscle before they go deep so you don’t feel how deep it is, but you get the benefits of how deep it is.“

One of the features Spa Aria offers while getting a massage—couples or otherwise—is the BioMat. This comfortable cushion runs the length of your body and incorporates far infrared heat, amethyst crystals and negative ions. The far infrared heat is enhanced with the crystals and the mat is filled with them. When a client lies on the mat, it allows the heat to penetrate 6 to 8 inches into the body, making those sore spots easier to remedy for the massage therapist. “It’s kind of like the wave-of-the-future energy medicine. … Far infrared is what you get from the sun and the negative ions are what you get from nature when you go to the beach or go to the mountains. You feel great instantly but scientifically, you’re breathing in negative ions so it’s boosting the serotonin in your brain and making you feel happy,” said Blum.

Along with business partner Cindy Cocke, Blum believes in incorporating massage into all of their services to make you feel regenerated no matter what service you select. “We even include massage during a waxing; people will come out and say that they feel relaxed. Cindy and I have been doing this for 15 years, and we try to take a holistic, grassroots approach to everything.”

For Valentine’s Day, a mix of various treatments will render you and your mate stress-free and looking refreshed. Spa Aria offers body rituals with 100 percent organic products from Hawaii. After a head to toe scrub for exfoliation, you’ll experience a shower with 13 heads pulsating all over your body. “Whatever stress the massage doesn’t get, the shower pounds out,” explained Blum. There’s also “The Gentleman’s Treat” package, which includes a facial with a hydrating Pavonia mask, a 30 minute massage and a manicure. Blum was happy to mention that men make up 50 percent of their business, proving that Spa Aria is definitely doing something right. Cocke attributes making men more comfortable to their warm, personalized atmosphere. “Our size enables us to give a more personal touch to everything. It’s cozy. At larger spas, you don’t connect with the person as much. If you’re coming to have a very powerful experience with your service provider and staff, that’s what you’re going to get. “

Besides offering a facial for the back and an eye treatment that produces immediate results by eliminating the look of fatigue or too much partying, Spa Aria also sells exclusive lines of spa products, such as Fresh and Kai. Local residents also can take advantage of a 10 percent discount and if you can’t spare the time during Valentine’s Day weekend, a gift certificate is in order. Just call the spa and they’ll deliver the certificate to you or let you pick it up curbside so you don’t even have to get out of your car. Now, that’s service to make anyone smile on Valentine’s Day or all year long.

-JEANNE SOUDERS

The Krewe of Muses has selected accomplished film star Patricia Clarkson as its first ever Honorary EveryMuse to head up its 2012 Mardi Gras parade. Along with the other members of the krewe, she’ll be perched on top of a dynamic red high-heeled shoe float that stands around 17 feet tall. Obviously Clarkson wasn’t chosen for her love of stilettos or high altitudes, but because, according to the Krewe of Muses Captain Staci Rosenberg, she embodies all of the artistic and admirable qualities of the nine muses.

After talking with her on a recent Sunday afternoon—our chat was more like a conversation between two old friends rather than an interview—I’d like to suggest keeping the tradition of EveryMuse in honor of Clarkson. She not only embodies a rare talent, but also exudes strength, confidence and determination; her journey as an artist is nothing less than inspirational.

Patricia Clarkson is the youngest of five daughters born to Arthur Clarkson and Jackie Brechtel Clarkson, a long-time New Orleans politician and currently a City Council member-at-large. According to Patricia, growing up the youngest child in the Clarkson household didn’t mean she was the favorite. “I was the baby but I was never ‘babied’ interestingly. My parents were truly egalitarian; we were very much equal in their eyes and were treated as a group… as a quintet almost. We all had to wear hand-me-downs, we all had to share and we all had to do chores.” To this day, Clarkson remains very close to her sisters, describing them as “remarkable women who are incredibly helpful and wise.”

Her mother, Jackie, has influenced her life in countless ways. “Formidable is where it starts. She is also an incredibly remarkable woman who kind of had it all. … She raised five children and then she got into real estate and then politics. I can honestly say that her love for this city is unparalleled and unprecedented and never ending,” said Clarkson. “Her true goal has been to make the city better and so, she’s had an enormous life and [has influenced] mine and all my sisters’ lives. We have that can-do spirit; we all want to succeed and have full lives and we all do.”

The quest for Clarkson’s full life started by attending LSU but after realizing that her true love was acting, she longed to be in New York City. She then transferred to Fordham University and then immediately afterwards completed a three-year MFA program at the Yale School of Drama. She describes her Yale experience as “the toughest three years of my life” but also attributes it for laying the groundwork for her as an actress. “I always wanted to do it all. I wanted to be able to play everything from the leading lady to a character and to take on all these different parts, these different lives, these different journeys. You know each character is a journey; how you get there, you really don’t know and sometimes you do,” explained Clarkson.

After many years of numerous roles in theater, film and guest appearances on television, Clarkson landed the role of Gretta, a heroine-addicted lesbian muse to a photographer played by Ally Sheedy in Lisa Toledanko’s High Art. Clarkson attributes this role to be a pivotal point in her career that led to another offbeat part in HBO’s Six Feet Under, in which she had the recurring role of the free-spirited sister of the oh-so-conservative Ruth, played by Frances Conroy. Her exceptional portrayal garnered her two Emmy awards and helped establish her as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actresses. When asked if she enjoyed these roles, I could hear the excitement in her voice. “I was always drawn to an emotional life and to these complicated, far reaching characters and the more you do, the more people want you to do that,” said Clarkson. “I owe much to Lisa Toledanko and Alan Ball because [those roles] started to turn the tide for me at 38, which is a beautiful thing in this business.”

Clarkson admits that she doesn’t get every role she wants and Hollywood does favor the young, but she attributes the rise of independent cinema for creating more and more options for mature women from which she has benefited. “I don’t have to audition anymore, thankfully, but there are a few perks that come to you later if you last in this business,” said Clarkson. “For the most part, I am lucky. I am fortunate. I have a wonderful career that I wouldn’t change and I’ve been able to say no to a lot of [roles]. The greatest luxury that I have is that I don’t have to do things I don’t want to do.”

Pick and choose, Clarkson has and continues to do, but she does it so wisely that she’s one of the busiest and in-demand actresses at the age of 52—a point in her life of which she speaks of proudly and wears tremendously well. Her recent movies include Easy A and Friends with Benefits and she’s just recently finished shooting The East with Alexander Skarsgärd and Ellen Page in Shreveport. “I play a CEO, which is very good for me… a very powerful, very strong woman and I run a company… it’s a very tough character,” said Clarkson. “She’s a woman who pulls no punches and is very glamorous so it was an exciting time.”

When asked if she has a favorite role it seems as if there are too many to count, though she fondly mentions her characters in Cairo Time and Whatever Works. Clarkson also likens picking her favorite director to deciding on a favorite child. “I would say that great directors, whether they’re Martin Scorcese or they are a first-time director I’ve worked with, if they’re really great, they do have one thing in common and that’s [that] they have a really strong vision. … They’re really capable of taking you into that vision and in an incredibly powerful way. It does change you as an actor.”

One thing that is evident in all the characters Clarkson portrays is that she refuses to step away from a challenge, embracing wholeheartedly both the tragedy and comedy in life. She’s taken on the roles of women suffering from cancer in Pieces of April and most recently in Lifetime’s Five, where she was directed by Jennifer Aniston, who gives her the highest of accolades during an interview for the network. “Patty Clarkson is just so like a thunderbolt in this part. I mean it’s exquisite to watch her.”

Clarkson knows many people who have endured cancer and admits that while these two roles were very challenging, she recognizes their individuality. “They’re all very different women and being stricken with cancer is just one aspect of the character… that’s one part of the journey. My goal is to bring it all to the table—all of the pain and comedy, drama and tragedy that exists in this person’s life,” said Clarkson. At the same time, she still realizes that although she hasn’t personally fought cancer, she understands its severity. “I am an actress doing this and I never want to lessen the real journey that a woman stricken with cancer is taking. I just hope I can illuminate or help add a dollop of solace to anyone who has been on this journey. … I’m thankful for that.”

On the lighter side of things, Clarkson has also had the opportunity to be cast in movies with some of the most gorgeous male actors in the business, among them George Clooney, Jude Law and Bryan Batt. Recently, she often finds herself playing an older figure to young actors like Justin Timberlake, among others. “Some of them have played my sons! I play the mother to all of these beautiful young men —and young girls—and I’m like, ‘I’m playing your mother? My god.’” With all this beauty surrounding her, Clarkson said she never tires of the eye candy. “When you’re working with a hot man? No you never do! I walked on the set and there was Mr. Ben Kingsley—he’s a very sexy man. No, you are never immune to the beauty of your co-stars. Never!”

Clarkson worked with Ben Kingsley in Elegy and had some very intimate scenes with him where she admits to being a little self-conscious but believes that it’s a good thing. “It’s a rough and tumble business but that’s why we’re actors. We’re there to expose ourselves in good ways and bad ways. The integrity of the scene sometimes requires intimacy —real intimacy— and it’s just part of the journey as an actor,” said Clarkson. “It’s never easy; it’s like deeply emotional scenes are incredibly exposing and draining and intimidating and if they’re ever not, you should get out of the business. If ever it’s too easy, something is wrong.”

Clarkson’s future plans include doing more films as well as returning to live theater for which she has the utmost respect. “There’s nothing harder than theater. … Eight shows a week is grueling. It requires such discipline and such stamina and I have such respect for those actors who have made a real, formidable career acting on the stage.” Last year Clarkson co-starred with Bryan Batt in Love Letters to raise money for Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre. She will be reprising her role along with Batt at the Westside Theater in Manhattan on February 13 to benefit The Actor’s Fund.

Although Clarkson resides in New York City, she visits her hometown at least four or five times a year and dreams of owning an apartment here. Until that happens, she’ll sometimes treat herself to a stay at the Windsor Court because she can walk everywhere or take the streetcar. “I love taking the streetcar. I feel like a kid again when I do.” She also enjoys exploring Magazine Street and the Warehouse District and buys gifts for friends in the French Quarter. “I love being in the city… it’s invigorating to me. You can really enjoy it in a simple way and there really is no bad food, anywhere in New Orleans.” Sometimes she’ll give into a craving for red beans and rice, a bowl of gumbo or a beignet and still manage to keep a trim figure. “Trust me, I do eat plus I work out; I hate it but I have to. I don’t eat bad things often but I do love beignets… there’s nothing better in the whole world.”

The only thing Clarkson might appreciate more than wandering the city is supporting the Saints. “Are you kidding me? I have black and gold underwear on right now,” she said laughing. She was joking of course, but then went on to praise Sean Payton and Drew Brees for their outstanding talents and achievements. But it was Jimmy Graham’s single-handed pass receptions that left her awestruck. “How can he do it? What is that? I’ve never seen anything like that with one hand.”

Besides attending Saints games and visiting with her family, Clarkson finds time to work with some charitable organizations such as the Grace House, which she describes as a remarkable organization she holds very near and dear to her heart. “I’ve shown up at a lot of places and I’ll continue to do so with New Orleans. Wherever I can ever be an ambassador for the city, I will but the city certainly doesn’t need me. I’m the lucky one that was born and raised in this great city. I’ll continue to do and help where I can; if it helps, I’ll be there.”

At the end of our conversation, I asked Clarkson to share a little-known tidbit about the time she spends in New Orleans. First she mentioned that she loves to take walks with her sister around Audubon Park and then pausing, said, “That’s not even slightly scandalous.” A few seconds later, she came up with a real treat. “I know. I love shopping at Burke’s Outlet on the Westbank. It’s a major little discount store, not huge, small. I bought like a $12 dress there and I might have worn it on the red carpet and I’m not even kidding,” she said, laughing. With Clarkson, you’re not sure what you’ll get but are always satisfied because she is full of life and wonderful surprises, just like your typical muse.

-JEANNE SOUDERS

People associate New Orleans more with Creole cottages than downtown skyscrapers, but no local can deny that our downtown is perhaps the most dynamic part of the city. Of late, the area has seen tons of activity—new condos, new hotels, a new grocery store, museum expansions, reopened theaters and a revitalized Superdome, to name a few. The district serves as the city’s economic force with its concentration of established companies, start-ups and health-care institutions. While the organization called the Downtown Development District may not have a hand in everything going on downtown, it does facilitate lot of it. In addition, the organization works to create a general environment for great things to happen. Since its energetic president and CEO Kurt Weigle arrived from Detroit about a decade ago, the DDD has taken an elevated role in making the area thrive.

“My vision for downtown is for it to become a collection of dynamic, thriving neighborhoods,” Weigle said. “People don’t always think of downtown as having neighborhoods because not all of it is residential, but we want to make it a great community whether you live, work or visit here.”

The scope of what the DDD does is rather broad. One aspect is making sure the district is safe and clean. On its payroll are 20 uniformed Public Safety Rangers, who patrol the area by foot or bike and remain in contact with the New Orleans Police Department. Meanwhile, Clean Teams sweep up litter and pressure-wash sidewalks. The group also supports cultural events such as concerts in Lafayette Square.

Creating a space that’s appealing and secure helps attract activity and investment, but another aspect of the DDD’s mission is to foster development in a more direct way. “We do a lot of handholding. We help developers move through their process of finding financing and navigating red tape,” said Weigle. One project the DDD recently helped facilitate was the transformation of the defunct Krauss Department Store on Canal Street into luxury condos. Another is helping to bring the hospitals now under construction to the edge of downtown’s medical district.

The DDD is also doing its part to attract and retain bright new residents to New Orleans, as well as those locals who left for lack of opportunity. As such, the organization has identified three “Industries of the Mind” in particular to promote—BioMedical, Digital Media and the Arts—and launched a marketing campaign around them.

Although it receives federal and state money for certain projects, the DDD’s funding primarily comes from a “special assessment” (i.e., a tax) levied on businesses and residents in its jurisdiction. “I don’t mind using the word ‘taxes,’” said Weigle. “People value what we do for downtown. I can’t remember anyone ever saying the DDD shouldn’t exist. That’s a strong point of pride for me.”

Weigle grew up in Detroit in a mixed-race, working-class neighborhood called Warrendale that might not be picturesque but had, and still has, a strong civic fabric. The neighborhood’s resilient schools, churches and other institutions have allowed Warrendale to fare better than Detroit overall, and Weigle still sees where he grew up as an inspiration. After attending Catholic school, Weigle attended the University of Michigan; his original path to an MBA was derailed when an influential instructor introduced him to the urban planning program.

“Since I was in fifth grade, I would scour the daily newspaper for stories about development projects,” he recalled. “I was always interested in the field. I just never knew there was a career in it.”

Upon receiving a Master of Urban Planning, he found a job with the New Center Council, a development organization in Detroit where an influential mentor took him under her wing. Thirteen years later, the DDD position opened up, and Weigle beat out some 120 candidates for the job. Although the selection process was confidential, Weigle suspected he was chosen because he’d worked in a tough environment and he had a strong vision for New Orleans. At the time, the DDD was primarily involved in cleaning and safety but was looking to re-emphasize the development focus of its name.

New Orleans isn’t always thought of as a place that welcomes change, and Weigle indeed faced resistance from some quarters once he got to work. He has a soft-spoken demeanor but by his own acknowledgement, he can be “obstinate,” and that persistence saw him through. In the city’s post-Katrina recovery, however, his obstinacy isn’t needed as much.

“It’s a different environment now,” he said. “It’s like there’s a breath of fresh air.”

Weigle lives downtown, walks to work many days, supplies his fridge from the new Rouses and patronizes neighborhood restaurants. “It’s the downtown lifestyle I promote every day—the convenience, the walkable neighborhoods, the shopping,” he said. “I enjoy living it myself.”

-HENRY ALPERT

Olivia Williams Manning —wife of former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning and mother to sons Cooper, an energy investment firm partner, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton and New York Giants quarterback Eli—is cherished for her lovely Southern charm, her down-to-earth demeanor, her admirable yet often subdued wit and her humble appreciation of her role as leading lady in an All-American football family admired by many.

Like the love, encouragement and dedication Manning has showered her family with, her commitment to charitable causes has been strong and steady for years. Her involvement with the American Heart Association through its Go Red For Women campaign demonstrates that the beautiful former Ole Miss homecoming queen is a true sweetheart in more ways than one.

Created in 2004 by the AHA to bring awareness to cardiovascular disease’s frightening rank as the No. 1 killer of women and to dispel the myth that it was an “older man’s disease,” Go Red For Women is a passionate social initiative designed to encourage and empower women to take charge of their heart health.

Friday, February 3 is National Wear Red Day and New Orleans will take part in the AHA’s mission to make a difference in the lives of women through the Go Red For Women Luncheon that day at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. The event will feature health screenings, sponsor booths, a fashion show, inspiring stories and a “purse”analities-themed silent auction that will feature purses donated and filled with the favorite things of local celebrities and movers and shakers, including Manning. New Orleans Living spent a sunny afternoon at Manning’s beautiful Garden District home, engaging in a heartfelt discussion about the severity of heart disease in women, plus the exciting opening of Manning’s, a sports-themed restaurant on Fulton Street, and life as the gracious, cultured and classy female counterpart of Louisiana’s First Sports Family.

What was the impetus for you to get involved with Go Red For Women?

It was a natural fit because my mother had heart disease. She had her first heart attack when she was just a little older than I am now. It shocked us all because she was thin and I thought calm. When I got that call, I went, “No you’ve got the wrong number; it can’t be my mother.” It turned out she had high cholesterol, which had never been checked, and it was prevalent in her family. Her father died of a heart attack in his 50s. She lived a good full life until she was 86, but heart disease is close to me because of her.

As the No. 1 killer of women, heart disease claims the lives of one in three women per year. What measures do you take to combat that astounding statistic?

That’s amazing to me. And people don’t know about these statistics, so it’s important to get the word out there. Heart disease is manageable and treatable. Making lifestyle changes is important, as well as knowing your cholesterol. I have mine screened each year and do the stress test. I exercise. Living in New Orleans, I try my best to eat healthy. (Laughs). It’s everything in moderation. At times!

A motto to live by! So what would you like to see more of when it comes to raising awareness and fighting heart disease?

Obesity is prevalent in our country. It’s important to get up and get moving. And have that physical each year. I think stress is a problem for everyone. Sometimes you really just need to take a breath and ask yourself if it’s really that important to get that worked up over. Also, if you’re having symptoms, like something doesn’t feel right or feels funny, you have to get that checked out. Sometimes at football games, my chest is pounding and I think, “Is this just nerves or am I having a heart attack?” (Laughs).

Right, the ol’ watching-my-NFL-quarterback- sons-play-induced phantom heart issues! (Laughs). Women are such nurturers to their families, but we don’t pay nearly enough attention to ourselves. Maybe that’s why the cardiovascular disease stats are so high for women.

Oh, right! They’re taking care of everyone else, getting all of them to the doctor. (Laughs). I always laugh about that. Archie would give me one sick day a year, and I hardly ever took it! (Laughs). It’s typical. You’re right about the nurturing. I think most women have annual checkups when they’re having babies. They’ll listen to your heart during checkups, but maybe there needs to be more screening.

A bonus with National Wear Red Day is that you look smashing in red, Olivia! And the guys should wear red in support of the ladies. Does Archie look good in red?

Thank you, Christine! I really like red. It’s a cheerful color that lifts you up. I always wore red lipstick. It’s funny, the grandchildren call Archie “Red” because he used to be a redhead a hundred years ago, but he’s gray now! (Laughs). Yes, absolutely the guys should wear red! Archie wore a red tie for Christmas and looked great.

There’s a brand-new dining option for us here in New Orleans: Manning’s, located on Fulton Street. That’s fabulous! Please tell us all about it.

Yes! It’s exciting. Archie was approached by Harrah’s New Orleans. It’s sports-themed, and it’s got lots of televisions, and there’s this one huge screen. There’s a need for that. It will be great for people who may not be going to the big game but want to watch it at a good spot, and Fulton Street is a good area with lots of people cruising around. It’s going to have great balconies and plenty of room and outdoor tables. The menu is sort of casual Creole with a twist of Southern flair; there will be some nice dishes on it. The chef is Anthony Spizale and he is great! There will be plenty of sports and football memorabilia from New Orleans, our family and the Saints on display. It is going to be great!

I can’t wait to check it out! So what are the Manning family’s Mardi Gras traditions and how will you celebrate it this year?

Our traditions have sort of changed. We’re very close to the parade route, so from the time the kids were in junior high when they could walk to the corner by themselves to when all the college kids were coming in – that was just chaos! I would be like, “Does anybody know who this guy is that just walked in with some outrageous costume?” (Laughs). Now it’s a little calmer. With Cooper’s children, we’re starting with the ladders again. And I can see Peyton wanting to bring his children before long, and Eli his as well. Cooper’s children are May (9), Arch (7) and Heid (6). Eli’s little girl is Ava and Peyton’s twins are Marshall and Mosley, and Ava and the twins are 9 months old and just 10 days apart, so one day I had three and the next day I had six. (Laughs). And during Mardi Gras there’s no football, so this will be a good time for them to come home.

Since Archie was the quarterback for the Saints, how much have you enjoyed settling down here and becoming ambassadors for the city of New Orleans?

Well, I just think of us as living here and loving it. But there are the tour buses that pass by the house, so when I walk out on the porch and catch a tour leader saying, “And this is where the First Family of Football lives,” I’ll say, “Hi! Thank you for coming to New Orleans,” and “Where are y’all from? Come back and tell your friends to visit!” I love New Orleans. The city has so much to offer. We came here right from out of college and getting married, so we’ve been here for 40 years. I always kind of wondered if we’d go back to Mississippi, but as you know, this is a hard place to leave. And with raising my children here, the more involved you get and the more you put down roots. Archie was briefly traded to Houston, after playing here for 12 years, and then he got traded to Minnesota for a year. We just rented a house. It was a good life experience. We were like, “We can do this!” And it got so cold! (Laughs). We had a pond behind our house and one day I said to Archie, “The ducks are gone. They know something I don’t,” and there was a huge snow right after that. I said, “The ducks have gone south and so am I!” We were happy to come home. We could have gone back to Mississippi but our family wanted to come visit us here. We love New Orleans. New Orleans has really been good to us, too. The years when Archie played with the Saints were interesting. There were lean years as far as wins go, but it’s something we’d never trade.

Archie is still considered a hero here. The fans never gave up on him or the Saints.

No, they didn’t. At the games you can still spot a No. 8 jersey–randomly! (Laughs). I’ll say, “Archie, there you are!” (Laughs). It’s funny to see that resurgence. But goodness, it is amazing to see what the Saints have done for the city. And Archie was always hopeful. Some years they’d start with a new coach and he’d say, “This is the year we’re going to get better.” And it’s finally come!

How much have you enjoyed watching Drew Brees and the Saints?

Oh, there’s nothing like it! I remember how we’d feel on Monday mornings when Archie was playing. You know, life goes on, you still had to get the kids up, and I’d feel almost like somebody just died, which is ridiculous, but you were so down and the whole city’s mood was like that. Lots of games were lost back then, I think 8-8 was the best season Archie ever had, so now, what the Saints are doing for the mood of the city is just great. Archie texts Drew before every game, but maybe not before the Saints are playing the Colts or the Giants! (Laughs). But Drew and Brittany are wonderful people. And I’ve gotten to know Brittany’s mother. They are very special, as are many members of the Saints.

Super Bowl XLIV, when the Saints beat the Colts, must have been a pretty bizarre day for you and Archie.

That was so strange. We felt so badly for Peyton because he was so disappointed. He had won a Super Bowl, but I couldn’t say that to him, because he was devastated. Had he not won one, it would have been worse. You work really hard to get there so you definitely want to win. But it was just bizarre, even more bizarre than when Eli and Peyton play each other. I have such a sense of pride when they play each other. And even at the Super Bowl, it was like, “There’s my child playing my husband’s old team,” so it was really special as well.

I must ask: Do you still call Peyton “Peytie Pie?”

(Laughs). Not in public! (Laughs). But yes, I do. I can’t wait to tell his children that’s what I call him. His teammates had a field day with that!

(Laughs). Ha ha! Peyton has made strides in his recovery. Are y’all hopeful that he will be quarterbacking again next season?

I’m hopeful; I want him to get well. He is pain free and doing well. I mean, he’s played 13 years. As a mom, I’m kind of like, “Isn’t that enough?” But he won’t get back out on the field without full support of the medical staff and training staff. He realizes how serious all of this was, so we’ll just have to wait and see. He was in a tremendous amount of pain, so he doesn’t want to go through that again. But he’s missed it. Peyton is just so driven and devoted. He loves football. I think he’s handled it well. And I think having these twin babies has helped. You come home to these two little smiling faces looking at you, so you kind of forget about things.

You have been so successful at raising your boys. If you would have had daughters, would they have become beauty queens or presidents? (Laughs).

(Laughs). Just normal, happy kids, I hope. And that’s kind of the way I look at my boys. They all like to get together and laugh, and Cooper is the ring leader in that; he doesn’t let anybody get too serious about themselves. You might win a Super Bowl but he’s going to bring you back down to earth! (Laughs). They’re just good, sweet, kind, generous boys.

What is it that still gets you about New Orleans?

It’s the people, like the characters you run into on a taxi ride to the airport. They pick us up and say, “How ya doing, Arch!” (Laughs). They feel like Archie’s their long lost friend, and they remember everything about a game, like when he played for Ole Miss against LSU. I’m overwhelmed by this city’s beauty, especially when we have out-of-town guests in. I just want to show them around, and I see things differently than just the hustle and bustle of St. Charles Avenue. The thought of not being able to go back after Katrina before we knew really what was going on was just about the most disturbing thing ever in our lives. It would be really hard to leave just because of the restaurants! It’s just a wonderful place, it really is. We weren’t born here but we’ve lived here a long time, so it’s just really home.

To join the mission to fight heart disease in women, please go to www.GoRedForWomen.org.

-CHRISTINE FONTANA

Sure it’s Carnival season but personally, and more importantly, it’s February and oh baby, it’s the month about love, lust and all things hot, hot, hot. OK, it can also be sweet, tender and whatever else Cupid decides to send our way, but I think we’ll all agree that we’ll be seeing a lot of red this month in addition to the purples, golds and greens of Mardi Gras.

Red is a dynamic color; it can be bright or deep and it can be playful or serious. Red demands attention and will garner anyone who dares to wear it lots of it, intentional or not. To Westerners, it’s the color of passion and undying love. Not only is it emotionally intense, but it has been said that it also makes the heart beat faster. In some countries, brides opt to wear red instead of white and, let’s not forget, it’s the devil’s favorite color.

This Valentine’s Day, creating a romantic ambiance writ large or in simple details is not difficult; however, the impact can turn the ordinary romantic rendezvous into something magical and scintillating. Anyone who dares to incorporate this complex and sensually bold color in the interior of their home is gutsy as red is not for the faint of heart but surprisingly, it can also be extremely warm and cozy.

Here are a few red-hot ideas from your romantic pals at New Orleans Living:

• Hang red floral—real or faux—wreaths on doors and windows. It says that your home is full of love, both inside and out.

• Paint a room lipstick red with white trim. The color combination stimulates conversation, thought and appetite. Also, when combined with mood lighting, everyone looks better in the warmer light hues that red produces.

• Afraid of paint? How about paper? Red wallpaper—perhaps a Chinese or French toile motif —makes a small space sing of chic.

• Still too much? Use red to line the interior walls of bookcases or decoupage on boxes.

• Drape a table with red silk, heavy taffeta, lush damask or plush mohair. Let it fall to the floor in a great pouf. Top with organza. Voila! You’ve got a Valentine’s Day table dressing.

• Create a romantic bed by hanging red saris or chiffon panels from canopies or draping over and across headboards. Better yet, substitute it for a duvet for the night.

• Roses. Don’t wait to be gifted and buy little ones. Drop petals at the bottom of white pillar candles inside glass vases. Scatter them across a table or on a bed. Is there anything more romantic than a bubble bath, scattered with rose petals, in a bathroom lit by candles? I think not.

• Personally, if you can get away with it, do that sexy lingerie thing with a red teddy edged in black or white lace. If not, consider a glamorous silk nightgown and matching robe. Becca Fox, owner of House of Lounge on Magazine Street, stocks her boutique with an exclusive selection of sexy red intimates by Elle Macpherson and Soie Cherie.

• If lingerie is over the top for you but you still want to wear a bit of red, just wrap a soft red silk pashmina around your shoulders…bare shoulders, that is.

• Put on some soft music, open a bottle of cabernet, merlot or rose champagne and light a few scented candles. Romantic? You bet.

• And nothing says Valentine’s Day like rubies … now that’s a way to heat things up and not just for one night, but all year long.

Nevertheless, if being adventurous with shades of red is just too bold and brazen for you, think pink. It’s actually more tranquilizing and soothing; it also has been a designer’s choice to wear, or dress a room or house for several seasons. Whatever the shade you choose, have fun and a happy, sexy Valentine’s Day.

-DIANE SUSTENDAL

The reason behind that weight loss, ironically, is that you’re eating too much—wheat, that is. Living with a chronic condition is never easy, but take heart. Gluten-free has gone mainstream,which means you have more wheatless options on the menu. Some of our favorites:

White linen: MiLa. Chefs Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing come by their velvet sauces through patient reduction, not flour. The French-trained pair has such a light touch that they recently ran a six–course tasting menu almostentirely gluten-free (save for a dessert tart).

Their vibrant, gorgeous ingredients shine in the full-bodied butternut squash soup (topped with nutty mushroom chips and fresh crabmeat) and caramel-seared scallops in a whipped celery purée. Save room for the lush vanilla rice pudding, topped with rum-soaked figs and dates that make a rich syrup.

New: Root Restaurant. This rustic-chic new restaurant is the perfect setting for veteran chef Phillip Lopez’ playful menu. As a gluten-free diner, you have full run of the charcuterieand every house-made sausage except the morcilla, which contains breadcrumbs. Whichever sausage you choose, it’s plated with jeweled cuts of Korean melon, pineapple and plums that have beeninfused with spices like star anise, cloves and cardamom. (Sadly, you’ll have to pass on the companion pretzel rolls).

At Root, all the salads are dressed gluten-free, and you’ll have your choice of entrées, except for the brioche-crusted fish. Be sure to save room for their fun, amazing ambrosia; it’s a painter’s palette of candied citrus peel, gently browned meringues, house-made marshmallows, ruby pomegranate seeds and cardamom-poached cherries. All tasty ingredients are scattered on a fruity, jellied sheet that thins out with the melting scoop of sorbet.

Casual: Tru Burger. This streamlined burger joint hasn’t forgotten you: Tru Burger gets props for offering gluten-free, house-madehamburger buns to cradle your all-beef patty and choice of toppings. Their chewy bun has the feel of a toasted, sturdy pancake. The hard part? Resisting the breadcrumb-coated onion rings.

Gastropub: Capdeville. This masculine restaurant, with its assertive bar, burgers and the city’s most decadent mac and cheese, doesn’t seem like an obvious place to eat gluten-free. But you can get those burgers without the bun, and ask for salad with the caramel cider or charred onion vinaigrettes. Besides that, start with a sweetly earthy tomato fennel soup, a chunky purée brushed with a swirl of basil pistou, and end with an impossibly moist flourless chocolate cake, drizzled with winter-spiced blackberry sauce.

Braised Tofu from Wandering Buddha

Ethnic: Wandering Buddha. This Korean pop-up, operating behind the Hi-Ho Lounge, would seem to easily be gluten-free. Truth is, you should speak up, because conventional soy sauce contains wheat. For you, the Wandering Buddha will replace soy sauce with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos; the addition of Korean spices makes this doctored sauce less salty and more sesame-infused.

You’ll want to resist the buckwheat noodles (they use buckwheat that’s been milled with regular wheat), as well as the scallion pancakes and fried dumplings, but there’s plenty left on your list. Try the rice cake dish (surprisingly, the chewy rice noodles are bamboo-thick, and stirred with tender-crisp veggies) or the braised tofu, paired with a mountain of steamed rice, fiery sesame-tossed greens and kimchi.

Restaurants with gluten-free menus, or marked GF options: Dick and Jenny’s, Bourbon House, Muriel’s and Carmo Café. Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing and Naked Pizza offer pies with gluten-free crusts.

——

Tips on Eating Out Gluten-Free

• Talk to your doc. How strict does your diet have to be? That partly depends on your condition. “Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune disorder [where] the body mistakes gluten as a harmful substance,” says Ginger Bouvier, M.Ed., a licensed nutritionist and registered dietician.“A less severe gluten intolerance,” she says, “doesn’t involve the immune system.”

• Know your restaurant. If you have celiac disease, know that “it’s difficult to eat at a restaurant without ingesting at least traces of gluten,” Bouvier says.A little may find its way to your plate because most restaurants don’t have separate facilities to make their gluten-free dishes. There’s more leeway if you’re gluten-intolerant, but still: go where the wait staff really knows the menu, the kitchen is eager to help and call ahead to see what’s safe to eat. On the flip side, tell them what you can and can’t have. “When in doubt…stick to simple items like baked potatoes and roasted meat,” Bouvier says.

• Look for restaurants that make almost everything from scratch. Gluten can lurk in commercially processed sausages, soy sauce, hot dogs and fries.

• Just because it’s wheat-free doesn’t always mean it’s gluten-free. Bouvier says that people with gluten allergies can also react to “related proteins” found in wheat, barley, rye andoats.

MiLa at the Renaissance Pere Marquette, 817 Common St.,(504) 412-2580

Root Restaurant, 200 Julia St., (504) 252-9480

Tru Burger, 8115 Oak St., (504) 218-7285

Capdeville, 520 Capdeville St., (504) 371-5161

Wandering Buddha at the Hi–Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Ave., (504) 945-9428

-ANNE BERRY

November 25-January 4
Holiday Musical with the Victory Belles
Enjoy this singing trio as they ring in the holiday the most treasured songs of the season in this unforgettable musical at the Stage Door Canteen at the National WWII Museum. Matinees and evening include delightful dining by Chef John Besh. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.stagedoorcanteen.org or call (504) 528-1943.

November 27-December 24
Singing Santa and the Riverwalk Jazz Band
Singing Santa and the Riverwalk Jazz Band stroll the Riverwalk Marketplace playing holiday favorites and Dixieland jazz. For more information on performance times visit riverwalkmarketplace.com or call (504) 522-1555.

December 1
6th Annual Lighting of the Balconies
Kick-off the holiday season at The Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter at the 6th Annual Lighting of the Balconies at 6 p.m. Thousands of twinkling lights will illuminate the hotel’s elaborate wrought-iron balconies. Gospel choir performances will lift your spirit as holiday characters come to life. Members of the New Orleans Saintsations lead this unique celebration. Free and open to the public.

December 1
“You Can Ring Our Bell” Christmas Kick-off Party
With the help of Dickie Brennan, The Salvation Army will be hosting a benefit to raise money for the Christmas Emerge program. The benefit will feature live and silent auctions, food, cocktails and music at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House Seafood and Oyster Bar from 6 to 9 p.m. $70 per ticket. (504) 899-4569, extension 317.

December 1-21
Christmas New Orleans Style Concerts
These free concerts take place at St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square, in the French Quarter. Concerts begin at 6 p.m. For exact dates and more information, visit www.fqfi.org.

December 2, 9
Holiday Movies on the Mississippi
The Downtown Development District and the Riverwalk Marketplace present Elf and The Year Without a Santa Claus on a 26-foot inflatable outdoor screen. 6:30 p.m. at Riverwalk’s Spanish Plaza. (504) 522-1555.

December 2-23
Chef’s Holiday Cooking Demonstrations
Demonstrations take place at the French Market Stage located at 1008 N. Peters St. These acclaimed artisans share their favorite recipes and samplings that are guaranteed to spice up your holidays. These events are free and begin at 2 p.m. Space is limited, so get there early. For details and exact dates, visit www.fqfi.org.

December 3
Algiers’ Holiday Festival and Bonfire
This year’s free festivities include the burning of the art installation, FLOODWALL, to commemorate the events of Hurricane Katrina. 5 to 9 p.m. at the levee adjacent to the ferry terminal. www.algierseconomic.com

December 3
Art Against AIDS Gala
NO/AIDS Task Force will present the 25th annual Art Against AIDS Art Auction and Holiday Gala at The New Orleans Museum of Art with the theme “25 Years of Art, 25 Years of Hope” from 8 p.m. to midnight. The Patron Party and Auction Preview will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on November 30th at the Arthur Roger Gallery. Tickets to Art Against AIDS will be available at the door the night of the event, but can also be purchased by calling (504) 821-2601, or at www.noaidstaskforce.com. Gala tickets are $60 and Patron tickets begin at $200.

December 3
French Market Annual Christmas Parade & St. Nicholas Day Fair
Enjoy a free afternoon of free kids’ activities and crafts, retail specials, live music and pictures with Saint Nicholas at the French Market. The annual Christmas parade, sponsored by Downtown Development District, goes down Canal Street, with a special French Market parade heading down Decatur Street to the French Market afterwards. 12 to 5 p.m. at Dutch Alley at the French Market, between Decatur and the River. (504) 522-2621. www.frenchmarket.org

December 3
Krewe of Jingle Parade
New Orleans’ official holiday paradewill once again delight locals and visitors alike with authentic parade floats, marching bands, stilt-walkers, and Christmas characters. Afterwards, all are invited to The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel for the “Jingle Mingle”, a party that will transform the block into a wonderful wintery wonderland featuring music, games, food, crafts and more.

December 3
Annual Christmas Bonfire Party at Oak Alley Plantation
This event is held in an open house outdoor format. Arriving guests are greetedby a brass quintet leading to a bonfire. There’s a Creole buffet in a formal dining room, chef-style stations around the veranda, premium bars and a live band for dancing. 7 p.m. to midnight. $125 per person. Oak Alley Plantation, 3645 Hwy. 18, Vacherie. For more information, call (225) 265-2151 or visit www.oakalleyplantation.com.

December 3
Creole Queen’s Cajun Holiday Tea with Papa Noel
The enchanting book, The Cajun Night Before Christmas, will come to life this holiday season aboard the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler at a very special Cajun Children’s Holiday Tea on Saturday, December 3, 10 and 17 featuring Papa Noel, the Cajun Gingerbread Boy, Gaston the Gator and other jolly holiday characters. Enjoy storytelling, children’s activities, and the opportunity to hold a real live alligator! Guests board the Creole Queen at 1:30 p.m. at the foot of Poydras Street at Riverwalk, and cruise the mighty Mississippi River from 2 to 3:30 p.m. $49 for adults and $34 for children under 12 years of age. Reservations are required by calling (504) 529-4567 or visiting www.creolequeen.com.

December 3-23
Celebration in the Oaks
City Park’s annual holiday lighting exhibit and festival returns with one of the most beautiful holiday light exhibits in the country. This New Orleans tradition features The Cajun Night Before Christmas, dancing lights, a new nativity scene, photo with Santa and musical laser show. Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $7 per person, children under 3 and Friends of City Park enter free. New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park. (504) 483-9415. www.celebrationintheoaks.com

Dec 3, 10 & 17
Christmas Concert Series at St. Augustine Church
New this year is a series of concerts at St. Augustine, the oldest African-American Catholic Church in the United States. The free concerts start at 4 p.m. Complimentary parking is available at Henriette Delille St. (formerly St. Claude Street).

December 5
Galatoire’s 6th Annual Christmas Auction
Join Galatoire’s for its auction benefiting the Galatoire Foundation, Crimestoppers, and Raintree Children’s Service at 6:30 p.m. to bid on a reserved table for Friday, December 23. Cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres by Chef Michael Sichel. RSVP required. Contact Chris Broussard at (504) 525-6022 for more info.

December 7
Round Table Luncheon
The popular monthly luncheon is hosted by yours truly at noon at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, featuringa champagne tasting hosted by Republic Beverages with Lisa Tull and Food Goddess, Lorin Gaudin. The exotic cabaret singer Suzaune Yee-McKamey will be accompanied on the piano by Jim Walpole. The three-course gourmet luncheon is $42 and includes complimentary parking and wines. For reservations, call Noel Scallan at (504) 553-2220.

December 8
Just Say YA/YA 2011
Charmaine Neville performs at the Young Aspirations/Young Artists annual holiday art sale and patron party, hosted at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, 1380 Port of New Orleans Place. Call (504) 529-3306 for more information.

December 8
Mahalia Jackson Centennial Plus One Celebration
Honoring Mahalia Jackson’s 100th birthday and the first anniversary of the Mahalia Jackson Center, the evening will include cocktails, dancing and a special performance by Irma Thomas. The fundraiser, which benefits Early Childhood & Family Foundation and the Mahalia Jackson Center, will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at First NBC Bank Lobby, 210 Baronne Street. For information, call (504) 523-1193.

December 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 & 29
Holiday Tea and Tour At Longue Vue House and Gardens
Come celebrate the season at a Holiday Tea! Tour the festively decorated house. Toast the holidays with a complimentary glass of champagne, savor tea with friends, enjoy seasonal sounds, and find the perfect gift at The Shop at Longue Vue. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Call (504) 293-4701 or ajones@longuevue.com for more details.

December 9
Renaissance Party
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society invites you to experience an evening of fine food, drink, entertainment, artwork and incredible auction packages at the Renaissance Arts Hotel. Proceeds benefit efforts to mobilize people, research for a cure and to address the challenge of everyone affected by MS. Entertainment provided by Louisiana Spice. $150 per ticket and $100 per ticket for participants under 35. For more information, call (504) 322-3790.

December 10
Cornette Gala
The Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans’ Cornette Gala is an event designed to raise funds to provide health care services to the underserved. First NBC Bank, 210 Baronne Street. $100 per ticket; $150 per patron ticket. Call (504) 212-9519 for more details.

December 10-11
36th Annual Holiday Home Tour
The Preservation Resource Center’s annual event is a self-guided tour through seven, holiday-decorated Garden District homes, a holiday boutique and café at Trinity Episcopal Church. $30 per ticket for PRC members; $35 per ticket for non-members. Contact: (504) 581-7032.

December 14
Fête De Nöel
The Ladies Leukemia League will once again host its annual luncheon and fashion show at noon at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside. $65 per ticket, with tables from $650 to $1,000. Call (985) 703-0831 for more details.

December 15 & 16
Baroque Christmas: Handel and Bach with LPO
The Symphony Chorus of New Orleans and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra present its annual Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in New Orleans, and on December 16 at the First Baptist Church in Covington. For details, call (504) 525-2111 or visit www.symphonychorus.org

December 16-23
Royal Teddy Bear Tea
Treat your family to a New Orleans tradition with a Royal Teddy Bear Tea experience at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Your children can dance with the Royal Teddy Bear, sing along with Rudolph and friends, meet the New Orleans Saintsations, and enjoy story time with Mrs. Claus at the Royal Kingdom. Word has it that Santa himself will make an appearance! For reservations or details on seating times, call the Holiday Desk at (504) 553-2328.

December 17
Countdown to New Orleans Running of the Santas
One of the largest Christmas events in the country is coming to New Orleans this holiday season: Running of the Santas, from noon to midnight, in the city’s historic Warehouse District. This daylong festival will include three stages involving several restaurants and bars in the area. Activities at Stage Two commence at 3 p.m. at the “South Pole”, which will be set up at Ernst Café, followed by a fun run starting at South Peters and Lafayette Streets at 6 p.m. Runners and crawlers will make their way to the “North Pole” set up at Generations Hall at 310 Andrew Higgins Drive. Category 6, New Orleans’ newest party band, will provide entertainment at Generations Hall ’til midnight. Advance VIP tickets start at $35 and general admission tickets start at $15. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the That Others May Live Foundation, which provides scholarships, family counseling, and aid to surviving children of United States Air Force Rescue heroes. For more information, contact Steve Schulkens at (504) 401-6990 oremail him at steve@schulkens.com, or visit www.runningofthesantas.com/new-orleans.

December 17
St. Louis Cathedral Basilica Annual Christmas Concert
The mission of this extraordinary choir is to present affordable, live concerts in spiritual venues featuring world-class musicians, and the finest repertoire of sacred and classical music, for the cultural enrichment, education and enjoyment of its audiences. 5 p.m. St. Louis Cathedral Church. (504) 522-5730

December 18
Patio Planters Presents Holiday Home Tours
Savor the holiday spirit and tour lovely French Quarter residences dressed for the season in a self-guided walking tour from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets available at 533 St. Ann St. and 527 St. Phillip St.

December 18
Caroling in Jackson Square
Join in a truly moving 65-year-old tradition as Jackson Square brims with candlelit faces and song-lit spirits as high as the spires of the St. Louis Cathedral. Candles and song sheets provided. Free. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., caroling begins at 7 p.m. Call (504) 523-7047 or visit www.patioplanters.org for more details.

December 20-24
Circle Dreams Holidaze
Watch an international cast of over 30 multi-talented and brilliantly costumed artists comes to live and perform astonishing feats of disbeliefs at 8 p.m. at Mahalia Jackson Theatre. www.broadwayinneworleans.com

December 22
Chanukah at Riverwalk
Enjoy Chanukah celebrations at the Riverwalk Marketplace from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with traditional Israeli music, dancing, food and the lighting of the 12-foot menorah. 1 Poydras St. www.riverwalkmarketplace.com

December 23
Home for the Holidays
The NOCCA Institute’s Home for the Holidays is a spectacular night of art and music benefitting the Daniel Price Memorial Fund for Aspiring Artists. Hosted at the House of Blues, local music legends Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins and Trombone Shorty will perform. The fund provides scholarships for outstanding visual arts and music students. Tickets start at $35. 225 Decatur St. (504) 310-4999.

December 24
Preservation Hall Presents A Creole Christmas
Join Preservation Hall for a Creole Christmas featuring Lars Edegran, Big Al Carson, Topsy Chapman, and the St. Peter Allstars. First Concert starts at 2:30 p.m. and second at 4:15 p.m. 726 St. Peter Street. (504) 522-2841

December 31
A NOLA New Year’s Eve
The Crescent City Countdown Club will present the traditional New Year’s Eve festivities in the French Quarter, including live local music and a gumbo pot drop to launch the midnight fireworks over the mighty Mississippi River. 9 p.m. Jackson Square, French Quarter. www.crescentcitycountdown.com

December 31
New Year’s Eve Gala on the Steamboat Natchez
Midnight aboard the Steamboat Natchez on the Mississippi River is unforgettable. Revel in delicious holiday food, party favors, live entertainment and the most unique view for the community-sponsored fireworks. 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Toulouse St. and Mississippi River. Call (504) 569-1401 for reservations.

January 2-3
Allstate Sugar Bowl Fan Fest
Don’t miss the excitement of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Championship Fan Fest, which include fun interactive activities and concerts each evening.12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Adjacent to JAX Brewery at the intersection of Decatur and St. Louis Street.

Although the United States spends more per capita than any other country on healthcare, numerous studies show that our overall quality of care does not reach the standards of other developed countries. Few in the American healthcare system are happy with the status quo of high costs and unsatisfactory outcomes, and many have been seeking innovative ways to correct it. Here in New Orleans, the newly established Gulf South Quality Network (GSQN) is doing its part. “Ours is the first clinically integrated healthcare network in Louisiana,” says Dr. Jeff Griffin, the board chairman of GSQN which is an independent company but one that is affiliated with East Jefferson General Hospital. “The concept of clinical integration is that all the providers in the network work to improve care and make it more efficient and cost effective.”

Central to these three intertwined goals of better outcomes, lower costs, and increased efficiency is technology. Electronic health records are part of this technological component. Instead of the current record-keeping system in which separate manila folders containing patient data are dispersed among the file cabinets of all an individual’s healthcare providers, EHR integrates them into a digital record. This way, patients don’t have to input their personal information, insurance information, and medical histories over and over again. Medical offices share this information, and doctors can quickly see what diagnoses, tests and treatments a patient has received from other doctors.

But clinical integration goes far beyond EHR. Networks like GSQN don’t just share information; they compile it and analyze it. Doctors can see larger trends about how their patients are faring, how the larger patient population in the network is doing, and how doctors’ own outcomes measure up to that of the network.  “We use benchmarks that have been set up by a quality committee,” says Bill Bopp, the president of GSQN. “In determining those benchmarks, we look at national outcomes and community factors. Then we develop attainable goals for the physicians, and naturally cardiologists will have different benchmarks and goals than dermatologists.”

When particular physicians fall outside of the benchmarks, the network provides the resources to help them improve. And when physicians achieve good outcomes, their success can give them leverage in negotiating with insurance companies. “We have 370 physicians now that provide care,” says Bopp. “An opportunity may come along when we’re working with an insurance company, and as we engage with their membership and achieve better outcomes, it will save the company money. A portion of those savings would be shared back with the network to compensate physicians that meet or exceed measures.”

Clinical integration can find cost savings in other ways. By analyzing treatments across populations, one may determine that a cheaper drug or medical device may be as effective as a more expensive one. Or aggregated data can be used to learn which patients are soon likely to need an expensive hospital stay, and their providers can take measures to prevent it. Furthermore, the electronic format of medical and payment information allows for cheaper, quicker digital communication between insurance companies and healthcare providers.

Physician networks focused on clinical integration are a trend gaining momentum across the country. Bopp, who has been with GSQN since June, is an expert at setting up these networks. He developed two other such programs over the last seven years. One was a network of 350 physicians in west Texas called Covenant Health Partners, and the second entailed some 3,800 doctors in a network affiliated with Indiana University. “Currently, the Gulf South Quality Network draws on doctors at EJ and it is about the same size as Covenant was, but we’ve had interest from other physicians in the community. I’m expecting that the network will grow to include up to 1,500 doctors,” said Bopp.

“Most physicians out there are solo-practitioners or members of small medical groups, which can be a challenge for them,” Bopp continues. “This network gives them the opportunity to come together into infrastructure that they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. They can keep their autonomy but be part of network that’s preparing for healthcare reform.”

Not every EJGH doctor is a member of the network. Some have chosen not to join because it entails more work or for other reasons. Nevertheless, GSQN is driven by doctor participation. Chairman Dr. Griffin, who is a colon and rectal surgeon at EJGH, notes that nine out of ten board members are physicians. “The whole issue is that most doctors are idealistic about their patients. They focus on giving quality care,” he says. “This tool takes it to whole new level for us.”

Since the network is technology based, it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s unified by a website. Doctors log in to view the data gathered and compiled by the systems. Offline, different committees meet on a regular basis in order to collaboratively look at outcomes, and network administrators also make one-on-one visits to doctors. “The network started last year and is up and running, but it will probably be a five-year journey to get everything fully implemented,” says Bopp. “I think we’ll be able to do some things that bring national recognition to healthcare in our community.”

-HENRY ALPERT

Tartine. This Uptown cottage has redefined breakfast for locals, who now consider the soft set egg in a cozy round of buttery brioche the only way to wake up. For lunch, the bistro serves up its namesake open-faced sandwich on house-baked bread and loaded with thick slices of pâté or pork rillette, each brightened with either softly tangy mustard or onion marmalade. Chef Cara Benson rotates the rustic specials, usually anchored with pastry, like carrot-raisin scones, puffy quiche studded with shrimp and Cajun sausage, and a custard-bottomed apple tart.

7217 Perrier Street, 504.866.4860, www.tartineneworleans.com

Bar Tonique. With owner Ed Diaz’s affinity for vintage cocktails, as well as a wide variety of original recipes, this is where drinks enthusiasts meet. Bar Tonique also makes good use of many revived spirits, like the spicy, centuries-old Batavia Arrack rum, as well as Pierre Ferrand’s re-launch of its 1840-era Cognac, the base of the East India Cocktail.

820 North Rampart Street, 504.324.6045, http://bartonique.com

Ruby Slipper. Two locations serve up creative breakfasts through the lunch hour, including blackberry pancakes with lemon-honey whipped cream (in Mid-City) or a Benedict built from rosemary focaccia, corned beef hash, poached eggs and a tomato Hollandaise (in the CBD). If you’re craving lunch, try the grilled Swiss and tomato on brioche, and ask for a side of sweet potato fries, which come with housemade Creole tomato dip.

200 Magazine Street, 504.525.9355

139 South Cortez Street, 504.309.5531

www.therubyslippercafe.net

Ralph’s on the Park. A seat on the balcony, or even by a window, will get you one of the city’s prettiest views: the grand oak trees lining City Park. Inside, Chef Chip Flanagan has a way with delicate dishes, like the appetizer that presents tuna tartare, plus pepper-seared tuna with crème fraîche; another plate features a beautifully assembled Napoleon of Israeli couscous, fresh corn and lump crabmeat tossed in ravigote sauce. Eating a light dinner will pay off later, when you order the indulgent peanut butter semifreddo, fashioned after a Snicker’s bar.

900 City Park Avenue, 504.488.1000, www.ralphsonthepark.com

Bouligny Tavern. This chic wine bar has a simple, fine menu of small plates that include puffy cheese Gougères, Kobe beef sausages wrapped in puff pastry, caviar with potato chips, and bruschetta topped with your choice of luxurious beef marrow, burrata cheese, or white bean pesto. Make your dessert a cocktail – the “Dragon Milk Punch” is based on bracing Indonesian rum, and coconut milk makes it frothy.

3641 Magazine Street, 504.891.1810, www.boulignytavern.com

Shake Sugary. Pastry chef Dawn Snead has made a splash in the Marigny with her artisan cupcakes, pastries and sweet breads. She adds signature touches to her treats: fresh tarragon makes its way into chocolate shortbread cookies; jasmine green tea is paired with citrus in a quick bread; and the Hummingbird cake is composed of spiced banana, pineapple and pecan cakes, held together with ginger cream cheese frosting. An ever-expanding vegan menu includes muffins, sweet rolls and cookies.

3600 St. Claude Avenue, 504.355.9345, http://shakesugary.com

The Bombay Club. One of the Quarter’s swellest clubs, with romantic private booths, free nightly jazz, and an eye toward everything cocktail (the chilled shrimp is served with gin-spiked cocktail sauce, and in a martini glass.) To that end, Bombay Club boasts a sweeping original cocktail list, thanks to bar manager Cheryl Charming, who writes recipes with plenty of sex appeal and takes on the standards with style. If you’re truly hungry, order the 22-ounce ribeye, glistening with foiegras butter.

830 Conti Street, 504.586.0972, www.thebombayclub.com

Emeril’s New Orleans. The restaurant that launched Chef Emeril’s culinary empire is still turning out locally-sourced dishes (Gulf seafood, especially, makes it onto many dishes here). A standout dish is the pork chop, glazed with tamarind and served with sweet potatoes crackle-topped with baked brown sugar. Thoughtful extras, like the sweet corn muffins and free valet parking, make dining here a special experience, and the lush banana cream pie is legendary.

800 Tchoupitoulas Street, 504.528.9393, www.emerils.com

Company Burger. Your childhood favorite, American cheese, tops exquisite burgers crafted by Chef Adam Biderman, who’s created a cozy joint (now with free Wi-Fi, which attracts worker bees all afternoon). The bread & butter pickles are housemade, as are the tomato jam and green goddess dressing cradling an impossibly moist turkey burger. The pork belly corndog is another must-try; pair it with the wispy battered onion rings and one of the joint’s cocktails, like the Company Buck (grapefruit juice, lime and Old New Orleans rum).

4600 Freret Street, 504.267.0320, www.thecompanyburger.com

Coquette. The ever-changing menu tweaks modern European dishes: cucumber is the base of its gazpacho, fried squash blossoms are stuffed with boudin, and the Tunisian spice harissa flavors not a traditional goat or lamb, but rather cavatelli pasta (paired with sea scallops). Your best bargain is the tasting menu (at dinner, four courses runs $45). Pair that with wine, or choose a cocktail from an imaginative list of originals (one to try: the lovely, honey-touched Birds and the Bees).

2800 Magazine Street, 504.265.0421, www.coquette-nola.com

Cochon. The most exotic dishes are the often most rustic, as delighted diners find in this renovated warehouse. Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski (both James Beard Award winners) draw on Cajun cuisine to serve up rich rabbit livers (sparked with pepper jelly), fried alligator with garlic-whipped aioli, and shaved hogs head cheese, refined with a tarragon vinaigrette. At the bar you’ll find a broad selection of moonshine.

930 Tchoupitoulas Street, 504.588.2123, www.cochonrestaurant.com

Blue Dot Donuts. All your fried-dough fantasies come true at this happy little joint on Canal Street. Launched by three NOPD cops (for real), Blue Dot has sunrise hours – needed to batter up, fry, and frost more than 50 kinds of doughnuts. Fan favorites include the maple-bacon Long John (peppered with bacon bits) and the red velvet; the dreamy peanut butter and jelly doughnut is fresh enough to double as lunch.

4301 Canal Street, 504.218.4866,www.bluedotdonuts.com

J’anitas on Rendon. In 2010, Craig and KimmieGiesecke brought their chicken-fried steak, comforting soups (herbed split pea is a favorite) and clever sandwiches (try the Duck With No Name, with wine-sautéed duck, horseradish aioli and cheddar) to the Broadmoor neighborhood. Next up is a seat at Grit’s Bar, where the J’anitas menu will offer new items like hash-brown potato nachos, topped with meat or black beans. We hope this new location continues to offer Nutellataquitos, a true guilty pleasure.

J’anitas at the Rendon Inn, 4501 Eve Street, 504.826.5605

J’anitas at Grit’s Bar, 530 Lyons Street, 504.899.9211

Parkway Bakery. This legendary Mid-City shop is where you fall in love with a po-boy and can expect to have it the same way every time you return. The fillings are almost endless, and include fried catfish, grilled alligator sausage, French fries, marinara-drenched meatballs, as well as a fresh take on a Caprese salad, with thick slices of tomato and mozzarella. Whatever you get, it’s on some of the city’s best French bread. And when the Lafitte bike trail is finished, Parkway will be only steps away – the perfect break for a hungry cyclist.

538 Hagan Avenue, 504.482.3047, www.parkwaybakeryandtavernnola.com

Lüke. Come hungry to Chef John Besh’sbrasserie, where the sandwiches are built thick and stuffed with ham and cheese (the fried egg is optional), and the choucroute plate is stacked high with smoked pork, bratwurst and tangled, housemade sauerkraut. For a lighter meal, pull up to the raw bar (come at happy hour for bargain prices on local oysters), or ask for a simple jar of pork rillette, which comes with spiced marmalade and grilled bread. Pair any meal with one of Lüke’s custom-brewed beers.

333 St. Charles Avenue, 504.378.2840, www.lukeneworleans.com

Avenue Pub. You’ll find your favorite beer from an infinite list of draft and bottled brews (local, and from all over the globe). The food is a cut above, too, like the chicken, cucumber and kiwi sandwich (the bread is slathered with cucumber cream cheese), as well asfried wontons filled with either red beans and rice, or jalapeño, cream cheese and bacon. Avenue Pub also carries an impressive offering of bourbons and whiskeys.

1732 St. Charles Avenue, 504.586.9243, http://avenuepub.com

High Hat Café. Part of Freret Street’s comeback, this stylish Southern diner is also one of Chef Adolfo Garcia’s latest ventures. With Chef Jeremy Wolgamott at the helm, the kitchen reliably turns out authentic pimiento cheese (cheekily paired with raw veggies), boudin, fried catfish, and tamales sourced from a Mississippi artisan. Check in for daily pie specials, all scratch-made and luscious. Also worth trying are hot grilled doughnuts with melting, local-made ice cream.

4500 Freret Street, 504.754.1336, http://highhatcafe.com

Sylvain. A nod to old-world New Orleans and one of the coolest places in the French Quarter, Sylvain offers a steady menu of upscale bar food. This high-low concept makes up the appetizer of VeuveClicquot and hand-cut fries, as well as the rustic antipasti (with a pickled farm egg), rugged sheets of housemade pasta with Bolognese sauce, and braised beef cheeks with whipped potatoes. The cocktail list changes often and is always worth sampling.

625 Chartres Street, 504.265.8123, www.sylvainnola.com

Ste. Marie. This chic French restaurant, on the revitalized lakeside of Poydras Street, stocks a broad list of bubbly that often makes it into their fresh, herb-filled cocktails, especially during brunch (think: Bellinis with seasonal juices). On weekends, get the luxuriousFrench toastcrafted from bioche and mascarpone; come Monday, you’ll want to try the rabbit ragu over housemade pasta, or crisp-seared gnocchi tossed with chopped cauliflower.

930 Poydras Street, 504.304.6988, www.stemarienola.com

Cure. This innovative cocktail bar also led the way to the Freret Street resurgence, and continues to craft seasonal, unique drinks and the small plates that go with them. An iron-packed plate of goat cheese dates with pancetta, bourbon-roasted nuts and creamy blue cheese makes a hearty snack, and Cure conjures Caribbean flavors with the chicken coconut curry meat pie, and sweet banana and black rice.

4905 Freret Street, 504.302.2357, http://curenola.com

-ANNE BERRY

Christmas is that time of year that normally provides most of us the opportunity to show those we love how much we care by giving them carefully chosen items in exquisitely wrapped packages, but for a select few, giving is not relegated to a single holiday. These remarkable individuals see every day as a chance to give back to the people of New Orleans, some of whom they might know or may never even get a chance to meet. Nevertheless, their thoughtful endeavors will have a powerful impact; lives will be shaped, minds and bodies enriched and for some, life-threatening diseases conquered. Amazingly, these philanthropists are very humble but this holiday season, we would like to extend the gift of recognition and celebrate the incredible efforts of Drew Brees, Joseph Canizaro and Lieselotte Tansey.

Drew Brees
New Orleans Saints Quarterback
Philanthropy Focus: To use the power of sports to benefit children and young adults.

Leading the valiant team effort to secure a long-awaited spot for the New Orleans Saints at the Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 would have been enough of a gesture for Drew Brees to perform for this city. Winning that very same game would almost be asking for too much, but the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV gifted New Orleans with that sweet, dream-come-true victory as well. And for Brees, the giving is seemingly constant. Even away from his comfortable territory on the gridiron, the diehard champion continues to give back to his community. Brees is certainly one of the busiest men in town, especially during the progression of the Saints’ current winning season, yet that doesn’t stop him from being actively involved through The Brees Dream Foundation. Founded by Brees and his wife Brittany in 2003, the organization takes a strong interest in this city’s most valuable resource: its children.

Brees recently teamed up with actor Matthew McConaughey’s J.K. Livin’ Foundation, which is dedicated to helping teenage kids in inner-city schools become great men and women by implementing fitness and wellness programs to improve their physical and mental health through exercise, teamwork, gratitude and positive life choices. They introduced students at Lusher Charter School to the innovative TRX Suspension Training System, a performance-training tool preferred by Brees that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of functional exercises for every fitness goal.

TRX generously donated a 30-foot TRX S-Frame along with 20 TRX Suspension Trainers to the school’s physical fitness afterschool program, in addition to monthly programming created by the TRX team for the students to follow.

Upon his arrival to Lusher one particularly sunny afternoon in early November to give the school’s new TRX system a whirl, Brees politely invited himself to join in with the students in their gratitude circle, a close-knit gathering where students share with their peers what they’re grateful for in their lives. Brees was the first to share, stating, “I’m thankful for my family, and for my team, and I’m thankful for the city of New Orleans, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here with you.” The children acknowledged their thanks for everything from “people like Drew Brees who take the time to do stuff for us” to “being able to wake up today.”

Afterwards, the elite athlete got down to working up a total sweat, leading students from both the football team and those belonging to the J.K. Livin’ program through a personal hands-on suspension training session, where he demonstrated on the TRX equipment the same exercises he uses to build core strength, balance and mobility simultaneously to prepare himself for hardcore NFL action. He also covered the programming specifically developed by TRX for the students to use themselves, calling on them to show off their own exercise skills and lending them a hand when needed. Brees was all smiles the entire afternoon with the students, remaining interested, patient and connected with them, and maintaining a fabulous rapport with the students as they soaked up Brees’ passion and commitment to fitness.

The Super Bowl Champion gave the students invaluable advice, support and motivation as he spoke with them not only about the TRX workouts, but also about how blessed he feels to play in the NFL as a quarterback and the tremendous amount of responsibility that comes with the job, not only to his team but to the community. “You’re given a platform to do other great things outside of football, so I try to use that platform to influence you guys and people in the community to want to strive to be better people and accomplish whatever they want to accomplish,” said Brees, adding that adversity exists to make people stronger and better, and wishing his young, captive audience the best of luck doing whatever it is in life that they want to do. He finally said that when he comes back to visit the students, he wants to see some progress on the TRX equipment, to a thunderous round of applause.

And come back he will. Brees’ connection to Lusher runs deep; after Hurricane Katrina, The Brees Dream Foundation provided powerful moral support for the school by helping to raise the money to refurbish the athletic field. Appropriately named The Brees Family Field, it is used for football, soccer, baseball and other athletic and non-athletic events. He also provided for the school’s weight room and he and Brittany frequently visit the school, giving credence and compliments not only to the football team, but to all athletic groups and to the school’s strong art program. As a result, the kids feel like they have a friend in both the adored leader of the black and gold and his adorable wife.

New Orleans Living Magazine was there to observe the incredibly special gathering of Lusher’s students and their idol, Drew Brees, an absolute model citizen who always uses his status to do amazingly good things for the city and the people of New Orleans. And after speaking with Brees about giving back, it’s clear that he truly understands the special gift he’s been given through the power of his exemplary role, taking it seriously and honoring it graciously. In a time where kids idolize athletes, New Orleans is extremely fortunate to have such a super hero to call their own because they just don’t come any better than Brees.

Hello Drew! How did you wind up partnering with Matthew McConaughey’s J.K. Livin’ foundation and TRX to bring this versatile fitness tool to Lusher’s students?

I actually met Matthew McConaughey at a golf tournament a few years back, and had a chance to talk to him there, and we kind of became friends and kept in touch since then, and I started to become more familiar with his foundation, the J.K. Livin’ Foundation, and he with our foundation, The Brees Dream Foundation. He was down here in New Orleans quite a bit shooting films and that sort of thing, and we thought, man, wouldn’t it be great to get together and do something, because I think we both had the same passion for kids and their well-being and wanted to try to give them opportunities to live a healthy lifestyle and to learn those important lessons.

So we decided to partner up and do something here at Lusher. Matthew was aware of our relationship with Lusher and our strong connection with the school, and just the thought that he wanted to incorporate his J.K. Livin’ program in the schools of New Orleans was a great starting point. I think the program has been phenomenal thus far; I think the kids have gotten a lot out of it. You know, the first thing we did today was the circle of gratitude, where every kid has the opportunity to go around the circle and talk about what they are thankful for. I think in a lot of ways, not only does that just kind of give you an attitude of gratitude, it also helps you to develop socially, helps you learn how to interact with your peers, and really just kind of let your guard down and not be judged and just let out your emotions. I think all the kids are accepting of one another and they have the chance to be around each other when honestly, maybe they wouldn’t have been around each other in any other way than to be part of this program together. So you get to meet people and be around people and interact with people that are maybe kind of outside your circle of friends or whatever, and yet, at the end of the day, you become part of the team together.

How have you personally seen the students of Lusher benefit thus far through the efforts of The Brees Dream Foundation since you’ve been in New Orleans?

When we, my wife Brittany and I, first got to New Orleans, Lusher was an abandoned building, and then (principal) Kathy Reidlinger and others did a wonderful job of getting the school established, and really, the charter school system kind of took off after the storm. But we noticed Lusher immediately as being a place of diversity, with both the students and also the programs that were provided for these kids, such as the arts program, theatre, music, and the orchestra. And with sports, they were trying to get things going, and we felt like that’s an easy connection obviously with what I do as a professional football player.

So we wanted to get these kids the type of facilities they needed. The biggest thing I noticed was their self esteem and their attitude, and their pride of ownership of this school. I think each one of them feels a strong connection to Lusher, feeling like, ‘I represent my school and everything that I do,’ and I think they take a lot of pride in that. And that’s great to see, because every time my wife and I come here, the kids are so friendly and so well-spoken and so respectful, and it’s kind of like we’re just one of them as we’re walking around here. We’re just part of the family.

There weren’t many players from Lusher’s football team who were previously using the TRX equipment before you got here today. You think that’s going to change after those cool exercise demonstrations you gave the students on the TRX equipment?

(Laughs). Yeah, we were having fun with it. I’m very familiar with TRX because I’ve been using it since 2004, and it was something that really helped to get me through my shoulder injury. So it’s easy for me to talk about TRX and obviously talk about the benefits of it, especially to young athletes because I think the misconception is hey, you go in the weight room and you just throw around as much weight as you can and get stronger and that’s that. Well, I think there’s such a smarter way to train, and I’ve learned that as I’ve gotten older, through my career as a professional athlete, so I try to impart that wisdom on younger athletes. And you know, hey, I’ll be the first one to tell you that there are benefits to working out with weights in the weight room. In fact, we provided the weight room here at Lusher, but I think you also incorporate the TRX into that and a lot of other exercises and there’s a balance. And I know that the J.K. Livin’ program has been using the TRX with the students here and they love it, so why not continue to expand that through to the athletic program as well.

You’re really sweating! You got a workout just now doing those exercise demos on the TRX …

(Laughs). I definitely worked out! I worked out this morning with the QB’s and now I’m sweating again! Yeah, that was a good workout. What I love is just watching the kids demonstrate to me what they’ve learned, because I think they take pride in that and they have been working at it for a few weeks now, so I’m sure a lot of them have seen progress compared to when they first started. They’re proud to show you, ‘This is the technique, this is what we’ve been doing,’ and I talked through more of the specifics with them which a lot of them haven’t heard before and they say ‘wow, that’s really cool; that’s something I can do,’ because maybe a lot of them have never stepped into a weight room or never planned too, but they think ‘Hey man, I want to stay in shape and I want to be able to exercise.’ And, maybe, they were self-conscious about stepping into a weight room but once they look at the TRX and get through the exercises they might think, ‘This totally fits me and my personality and what I want to do to stay in shape.’

Tell us about your message to encourage physical fitness, even for the non-athletes.

I’ve been involved in organized sports my whole life; my brother and I, that’s just what we did. But I understand that not every kid either wants to be involved with sports or, let’s just say it’s somebody that didn’t make the team. They still love athletics; they still want to stay in shape and work out and that kind of thing. Well, the TRX is a great avenue to do that. And the fact that you can do it through a program like J.K. Livin’ too, you know, you’re doing it with your friends, with your peers, you can encourage one another, I mean, you’re a team! So even though it may not be the football team or the track team, you’re still a team.

You are as comfortable out here with these students as you are with your team. You enjoy being out here with these kids, don’t you?

Yeah, I love being around these kids. Really, everywhere in New Orleans, what I find is that these kids are so talented and I’m not saying athletically talented, I’m just saying talented as human beings. You just watch their development and how respectful they are and you just get the feeling that they have a lot of confidence and they really feel like they can accomplish anything. They’re ready to just go out there and take the world by storm and I think a lot of that is because of the environment that they have here at Lusher Charter School and many of the schools around New Orleans. They’re just surrounded by great people, great teachers, great principals, great staff, great coaches – people that want to see them succeed – and that’s why, more than anything, through our foundation, we’ve supported programs like Teach for America and others where you’re trying to attract talent to come down to New Orleans to help cultivate these kids, ‘cause hey these are our future leaders. Especially when you talk about the future of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, you want to have these kids brought up feeling, ‘I have this attitude of gratitude, I want to go out and be successful but I want to give back. I want to stay in this community and I want to do my part.’

-CHRISTINE FONTANA

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Lieselotte Tansey
Health-Care Heroine and Art Enthusiast
Philanthropy Focus: Nurturing people with the gift of modern medicine and nourishment

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that we gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face. I think that we’d all agree on the validity of that statement, however few people have faced the challenge of breast cancer and turned that experience into an incredibly generous gift to other women suffering the same here in the Gulf Coast. Lieselotte Tansey is one of those people.

At first glance, you’d never guess this slight but spry woman who prefers Ochsner to German hospitals, survived Nazi Germany, a bout with breast cancer, and, most recently, a full recovery from a fall that left her unable to walk and caused various other complications. Despite everything she’s endured, Ms. Tansey is vibrant, vivacious and tenacious, leaving people to doubt she’s actually telling the truth about her age —she’s 91 but has a glow and energy of someone much younger.When asked about what kept her motivated to conquer her health issues, a broad smile comes over her face. “If you don’t have the will, you can’t. You know what my name was? Tough cookie! Everytime I think I can’t do it, I don’t want to lose that name. I came here to the U.S. [from Germany] and I was paralyzed. I couldn’t walk and they taught me how.”

Thirty-five years ago, Ms. Tansey was successfully treated for breast cancer, taking only four and half days to complete a treatment that took weeks for others. In 2001,she decided to give back to the doctors and staff who saved her life in order to do the same for other women in the area. As a result of a multi-million donation, the Lieselotte Tansey Breast Center at Ochsner was created, providing comprehensive care in order to detect breast cancer early. The center is staffed with an expert, compassionate staff and contains state-of-the-art equipment to ensure fast and accurate diagnoses, proper treatment and to ultimately increase the number of cancer- free survivors with their breasts still in tact due to reconstructive surgery.

When asked about the center, Ms. Tansey tries to downplay her contributions.  “Several people have come to me and said ‘thank you very much’ and I say, well I didn’t heal your mother who was dying; it was the wonderful job of the people here that saved her. But then they say to me, if you wouldn’t have given them the building, there wouldn’t have been any [doctors].” She also has some strong advice for women regarding breast exams. “Go in time. I don’t know how many people I have told to go in time because it’s easier…they take out what’s possible and then reconstruct it, but you can’t help people who don’t want to help themselves.”

Not only are the patients and their families grateful to Tansey, but so is Ochsner and to show their gratitude, plans are in the works for the Tansey Healing Garden to be located outside of the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center to which Ms. Tansey also made substantial contributions. This vast outdoor space will be completed in phases, providing patients a much-needed respite from treatment and a peaceful place to visit with family and friends. It will contain an herb garden, plants that attract butterflies, as well as a labyrinth and a prototype fountain fashioned from the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. Tansey was caught off guard when this gift was presented to her. “I was flabbergasted. Can you imagine something like this? It’s wonderful…I was speechless.”

Ms. Tansey’s generosity also spans back over the Atlantic to her hometown of Celle, Germany where she provided a new facility to an organization called The Table. “They feed 3,100 people a month. These are people without food or clothing. We give them food that we get from the markets and what’s nice is that we also go to the flower markets too, so that when the women come, they can get some flowers. It’s really wonderful.”

Not only does she nurture people with the gift of modern medicine and nourishment, but Ms. Tansey, along with her husband of over fifty years, Ernest Tansey, also enrich people’s lives with their passion for beautiful art. They have donated an extensive silver collection to the museum in their hometown of Celle and continue to exhibit their internationally acclaimed selection of 150 painted miniatures. Averaging two inches in size, thesecolor portraitswere painted of European aristocracy before the invention of photography. Ms. Tansey takes special delight in their detailed craftsmanship, explaining that with close inspection, you can actually see veins in the subject’s skin as well as their individual strands of hair.

With all of her and her husband’s current generous contributions and plans for future efforts,Lieselotte Tansey still will not accept full credit. “I thank my mother. When I was a teenager, she already had a foundation for workers and she taught me that you have to give. Without her, I might not be the way I am now.” Given Lieselotte’s altruistic nature and indomitable will to survive, odds have it that her mother was one tough cookie too.

-JEANNE SOUDERS

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Joseph C. Canizaro
Chairman of the Board – First Trust Corporation
Philanthropy Focus: Positively impact our community through education, opportunity and empowerment

As a young man in 1964, Joseph C. Canizaro came to New Orleans from Biloxi to make his fortune. Canizaro excelled in his chosen field of real estate development, and his fortune was indeed made. In the meantime, Canizaro imprinted his mark on the skyline of New Orleans and became one of the best-known businessmen in the city. Although still involved in real estate through his company Columbus Properties, these days Canizaro focuses more on a holding company named Corporate Capital which encompasses Columbus Properties as well as investments in a number of different areas. “My company is what I do,” he says. “But my goal for it is to generate money that I can give away and help the community.”

A devout Catholic, Canizaro uses his faith to guide his life, business, and philanthropy. “Catholicism is my major passion,” he says. “To me, it means living as God asks us to live. I give back, because everything I have came from Him.”

Not surprisingly, Canizaro donates money to a number of Catholic causes. He has a particular affinity for the Eucharist, the Catholic ritual in which the devout look to commune with the body and blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine. Canizaro has financially supported the construction of chapels for Eucharist adoration. Like many other Catholics, Canizaro has also been taken with the story of the six children from Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, who are said to have seen the Virgin Mary one day in 1981. Canizaro has made a pilgrimage to the town and is a patron of one of these children (now an adult) who purportedly continues to have visions.

But Canizaro’s philanthropy extends beyond the world of his Catholic religion. One interest of his is education. “It relates to my faith, but it relates to everybody,” he says. “I give to hundreds of schools, from grammar schools to universities to seminaries. Wherever there’s a need to advance education, I want to help out. I give in the city and the state, but also nationally and internationally.”

Along with education, he also looks to support healthcare, believing that “healthy, educated people will help a community grow and become better.” As such, he has financially supported many hospitals and clinics. Again, this includes institutions that may be local, regional, national, or international.

For his philanthropy, Canizaro has set up the Donum Dei Foundation, inspired by and formed after his trip to Medjugorje. The foundation, whose name means “gift from God,” includes one full-time staff member and a board that reviews requests. Canizaro is also a member of Legatus, an association of Catholic CEOs started by Tom Monaghan of Domino’s Pizza.

“Tom was a member of YPO [Young Presidents’ Organization] and wanted to do something especially for Catholics,” he says. “Legatus’ goal is to bring Catholic faith and belief into business life.”

The organization has chapters all over the country, and at the request of Monaghan, Canizaro started one in New Orleans. The group conducts meetings once a month, which entails confession, saying the rosary, and a mass followed by a social get-together with a speaker. Legatus is not a philanthropic organization per se, but as it is faith-based, it naturally leads members to issues of charity and community. “Business is not just about how much money you can make,” says Canizaro. “For me, it’s not just about building the buildings. What I do should have a positive impact on the community.”

To be sure, Canizaro’s business dealings are rooted in Catholicism; he believes his religion and success are intertwined. “My mind comes from God, and so does my persistence and ambition,” he says. “I also attribute my integrity to God and my faith, and I think people want to do business with people they can trust and who they have confidence in.”

Canizaro remembers when he first arrived in New Orleans as a young man and saw the unfinished World Trade Center at the foot of Canal St. and was fascinated by it coming together. Beyond that, he was also intrigued by the general downtown area, the coming together of Canal St. and Poydras right on the river. He knew that’s where the city would grow, so most of his projects have been around the river. Once he became established as a developer, he had a hand in many landmark buildings downtown including Canal Place, the Crowne Plaza (now the W), the Loews Hotel building, and the Texaco Center (now the 400 Poydras Tower).

Canizaro has contributed to civic life in other ways, sitting on the board of several New Orleans organizations throughout his lifetime and contributing to creation of public spaces like the Piazza d’Italia. Post-Katrina, he helped take part in the city’s rebuilding, mostly through his board membership on Nagin’s Bring New Orleans Back Commission.

“When the program was put out there for the public, it wasn’t fully embraced by everyone, and as a result, it wasn’t executed as it could have been,” he says. “But if you go back, a lot of what we proposed has been done, and some will yet be done. I was glad to be been able to contribute to the project. It’s important to me to help New Orleans and my community.”

-HENRY ALPERT

While in his early twenties in 1987, Sean Cummings felt adrift in his career prospects, so he reluctantly returned to his native city of New Orleans. “I was from this city, but I didn’t feel of it,” he recalls. “I hadn’t planned to come back.”

Now over two decades later, one would be hard pressed to find a bigger booster of New Orleans than Cummings. Perhaps one reason for the shift is because Cummings has been successful in shaping his hometown to match his personal vision of it. New Orleans has progressed towards fulfilling what Cummings sees as its modern-day potential.

Through the company he named “ekistics,” Cummings has developed over a dozen stylish residential complexes and boutique hotels. The latest one—the Bywater’s Rice Mill Lofts, which is filled with art—Cummings believes is particularly special, beautiful, and “infused with great meaning.” In other words, he feels it’s his best one yet. “My projects are always successful, always one hundred percent full,” he says. “I’m proud of that and honored by customer compliments.”

According to Cummings, his properties contain a sensitive attention to design, detail, and service. As such, he doesn’t consider himself to be in the real estate business any more than one would consider Apple to be merely a computer manufacturer. Rather, Cummings sees himself as being in the quality of life business, and, in discussing the conceptual underpinnings of ekistics, Apple comes up several times.

Cummings once even personally interviewed for a sales position with Steve Jobs when Jobs was on hiatus from Apple and leading a company called NeXT. That opportunity was put on hold, which was one circumstance that motivated Cummings to return to New Orleans. He ended up buying a disused building across from the Contemporary Arts Center for $40,000 and renovated it into Soho-style lofts with an art gallery on the ground floor. It was the first property of its kind in the city. Not long after that project’s success, he created the International House Hotel, the city’s first boutique hotel. Cummings had found his calling in creating stylish properties for people who appreciate artistic, sophisticated sensibilities.

“New Orleans is in many ways America’s boutique city with our architecture and creative arts,” he says. “We’re more interesting than beignets, heavy cream sauces, and Mississippi River paddle boats. The city used to be a leader nationally. We had the first hotel, the first opera house … but for decades we lost our way. We stagnated and stopped being a player.”

Cummings feels that his hometown is at last turning itself around. “It has been an inspirational time with what’s going on in education, new start-ups, and so much else,” he says. “We’re attracting newcomers with our relatively low cost of living and good lifestyle. They are also drawn by the spirit of kindness and reinvention after our tragedy.”

With his lofts that “accentuate creative thinking,” Cummings feels he is a part of these trends, but he’s involved in many more ways than just providing swanky roofs over people’s heads. His office building, Entrepreneur’s Row, houses many of the city’s dynamic young start-ups, and Cummings and his partners have actively courted these businesses to come to New Orleans. Cummings also invests in several of them. The Receivables Exchange, a financial company which moved into offices in Entrepreneur’s Row in 2007, has grown so fast it’s bursting at the seams. The company is now traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and it has decamped to the former Chevron building that bears the new tenant’s name, a symbolism noted by Cummings.

Cummings had also been highly involved in the Reinventing the Crescent project, which involves restoring the waterfront along the Mississippi River from Jackson Avenue to the Lower Ninthv Ward. The plan is to reclaim this area from industrial use to create parks, promenades, and other public amenities. Working with the Nagin administration as a public employee, he helped oversee the design and brought in world-renowned architects. (The project is still in the works, but with the change in mayors, Cummings is no longer part of it.)

“My projects often receive pushback, and I probably received more pushback from that one than any I’ve been involved in,” he notes. “But I think the best cities in the world are evolving organisms. We can have a sense of place for New Orleans, but that doesn’t mean we need to remain fixed in a time that has passed.”

Perhaps Cummings’ own home is emblematic of this ideal. He lives in a 1840s Italianate mansion on the edge of the French Quarter that used to be owned by actor Nicolas Cage and before that by the producer Daniel Lanois who recorded U2, the Rolling Stones, and Peter Gabriel within its walls. Its exterior fits in with other Vieux Carré properties, but the inside juxtaposes the historic and the modern, sometimes merging them. For example, the entryway contains sculpture called “Cascade,” a striking floor-to-ceiling column of illuminated crystals that is unabashedly contemporary but recalls traditional New Orleans chandeliers.

A magazine profile on Cummings’ house notes that “historic houses are living entities which must … evolve or risk becoming ossified, brittle museums to the past.” Likewise, Cummings’ vision for New Orleans is that it must continue to develop its own path between the past and the future. In doing so, it has welcomed him home.

-HENRY ALPERT

New Orleans is a city steeped in many traditions and topping that long list is the Cajun cooking that makes this city famous, from crawfish boil and jambalaya to fried oysters perched on top of crusty bread or served solo. The best part about food traditions here in New Orleans is that you can make them at home with the products from Louisiana Fish Fry. I have picked up numerous yellow bags of Lemon Fish Fry and bottles of Seasoned Shrimp Boil but my favorite is the Seasoned Fish Fry.  I often wondered how this recipe originated and made its way to the food stores. Luckily, I had the opportunity to talk to Tyler Pizzolato, the grandson of company founder Tony Pizzolato, and learn about the amazing history behind that blue bag filled with amazing flavor.

In the early 1900’s, the Pizzolato family migrated to the Port of New Orleans from Sicily, walking three days along the levee to finally settle in Donaldsonville. In order to earn a living, they operated a roadside business, selling everything from fresh produce to Christmas trees.  Because of their dedication to quality and fair prices, the business grew by word of mouth and in 1959, Tony Pizzolato took it off-road and opened a small produce market in Baton Rouge. When he added fresh seafood to the mix, it outsold the produce so much that he needed an even bigger space to match the demand. So, in 1972, he, his wife, Mary Lee, and five children converted an abandoned gas station in Baton Rouge into a thriving fish market called Tony’s Seafood—the birthplace of the original fish fry batter. “Seafood started selling so well that he decided to bag his own breading. He had his own recipe that he put it into plastic bags, wrote on it that it was seasoned fish fry and he would just give it to customers,” said Tyler. “It got really popular…people kept coming back and asking for it. So they opened [the product business] in 1982. The first product was seasoned fish fry; that’s all they had and that’s all they sold. That’s why the name is Louisiana Fish Fry.”

Humble beginnings often launch successful business endeavors and Louisiana Fish Fry is no exception. Currently, the company offers close to fifty items, including a variety of sauces, batters and entrees, but the original fish fry batter is still its biggest seller. “In 2009, we sold around 7.7 million fish fry [products]; the blue bag sells close to 4 million bags a year and the yellow bag around 1.5 million,” said Tyler. All products are manufactured in an 80,000 square foot factory with close to 250 employees between it and the adjacent retail outlet.

The company also distributes their products in all 50 states and Pizzolato credits the name and its close-knit family origins. “It’s the flavorful food [of Louisiana], the Cajun flavor. I think Louisiana Fish Fry is a great name for us and it does help that we are from Louisiana and we’re family owned. It’s a big deal.” One surprising fact about the business is that its namesake state is not the biggest consumer of its products. “We started in Louisiana but the majority of our items get sold in Texas…it’s our largest market. In any of the big, major markets in Texas, we’re number one,” said Tyler, smiling.

An integral part of the success of the company is also due to its unique product development process. “When we want to come out with new items it has to do with our competitors,” explains Tyler. “We want to have a little bit of differentiation; a little more spicy because we are a Louisiana company.” The process starts with the plant manager developing the recipe for the new product and then it’s tested among an office staff that includes five Pizzolato family members. If it passes that taste test, the product moves onto the most hard-core critics of all: the customers at Tony’s Seafood. “Thousands of people eat fish there. Thousands of pounds of fish get sold there every day. So we go ahead and start selling at Tony’s and if people start taking a liking to it, we know. Any product that we come out with here, has been tested at Tony’s,” said Tyler. Also, the customer reaction is extensive and has a large input into the development. “It’s tested for three or four months before we launch it. If we get feedback that it’s too spicy or not spicy enough, we might tweak it a bit.”

Tyler, who is currently the marketing manager at Louisiana Fish Fry, is familiar with all the processes and parts of the family business. “I started working at Tony’s when I was 15, working behind the counter, selling seafood and in the deli, frying fish. I’ve done everything at Tony’s. I went to college for marketing…I wanted to find something I could do to help the company,” said Tyler. He also has some sound advice for young people who want to work in their family’s business and be successful. “The direction I would tell them to take is not to think you know it all. It’s the person that works hard, that is willing to do anything; I’d be willing to jump on a truck and go around town and help them unload. In a family business, if you want to be a part of it, you have to do more than one thing.”

Tyler’s experience has paid off with successful marketing campaigns with partners such as Miller Lite, Coca-Cola and Louana Oil as well as involvement with the Zephyrs, Hornets and the Saints. In addition to the company’s current product line, Tyler sees a bright future for Louisiana Fish Fry. “We’re in the works to come out with a beer batter to market to the North East and a Cajun Batter…it’s like the blue bag but it’s a little more spicy with a little more kick to it.” In addition to developing lower sodium products, he also sees a change in packaging. “We’re going towards where the industry is going…in the future, we’ll move to a box. “ From one product to an extensive line and now, from the bag to the box, grandfather Tony would be proud.

-JEANNE SOUDERS

It’s a warm, blustery afternoon, and Aspen Nero is showing guests around a community garden in Mid-City. The quarter-acre site is filled with wooden planters, soft-turned dirt, and greens, some budding and others fully blossomed. Nero bends to finger a flowering cucumber plant, and Trey Stephens steps forward to get a closer look – as he should, since he works the front of the house at Pizzicare. That cucumber could end up on one of their pizzas.

Pizzicare (pronounced peet-zee-CAH-ray) is the newest creation of local restaurateurs Bart Bell and Jeff Baron, who first made their Mid-City mark with Huevos, the southwestern-style breakfast joint now operating as a Sunday pop-up sister restaurant, Crescent Pie and Sausage. The businesses share more than these passionate and committed owners: house made sausages and meatballs from Crescent Pie make it onto Pizzicare’s pies, while giant mixers in Pizzicare spin dough for yet another Bell-and-Baron venture, the Dough Bowl, a casual college favorite.

The restaurateurs have always sourced local produce, but for Pizzicare they didn’t have to look more than 50 feet, where NOLA Green Roots – which manages three community gardens – has its Mid-City lot. The pizzeria and garden are neighbors on upper Tulane Avenue (a new apartment building across the street, as well as the coming VA/LSU medical campus, will hurry along its coming revival). Whatever NOLA Green Roots delivers in its weekly baskets – basil, peppers, garlic – ends up in Pizzicare’s signature NOLA Roots Garden pie.

The week we went, Pizzicare was showcasing the garden’s mustard greens, arugula, and fiery little rings of jalapeño and cayenne peppers (used sparingly). The crust was slicked only with olive oil (infused with NOLA Green Roots’ tarragon) and layered simply with mozzarella and those brilliant, almost nutty greens. Using just-picked ingredients makes for a fresh, high-quality slice; so does the hand-tossed dough, which is mixed, pinched (Pizzicare’s translation from Italian) and twirled, several batches a day. The toppings may be local and hyper-seasonal, but the New York-style crust is just as appealing – chewy, subtly tangy dough with a flaky crisp bite.

The recipe is only half the secret; Pizzicare also invested in a double-decker oven that uses a circular burner (unlike conventional pizza ovens that only have burners in front and back). The stone-lined oven fast-bakes a pizza pie, between five and seven minutes, and does it evenly.

What’s next? Co-owner and chef Jeff Baron is experimenting with a corn masa crust and the base for salsa verde. Further down the line, “I’d like to open a thousand of these,” he says, “selling New York-style pizzas with local ingredients.” This would partner Pizzicare with nearby farmers and butchers (for meatballs and sausage) wherever the pizzeria is located.

Those local ingredients will change as the weather cools. Aspen Nero, director of operations for NOLA Green Roots, says they’ll be harvesting cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and kale in the months ahead. She and Trey Stephens pause at the community garden’s hen house. A poultry-topped pie, perhaps? The chicks back away from the fence. “Oh, no,” Nero rushes to say. “We only need them for their eggs.”

Pizzicare’s Jeff Baron shares his tips for making the perfect pizza dough:

• Plan on making your dough the day before you plan to use it.

• Use high-gluten flour.

• Use very little yeast and activate it correctly with a little warm water and sugar, and place it in a hot place until it foams.

• Atmospheric conditions mean everything; if it’s cold, it needs to proof longer. My rule is no longer than one hour if it’s hot and humid (which is frequent in New Orleans), and around 2 hours if it’s cold and dry outside. Wrapping it in plastic and placing it in a warm place to proof is a good idea.

• Keep the dough covered or wrapped at all times, or it will dry out and develop a crust.

Pizzicare, 3001 Tulane Avenue, 504.301.4823. Besides its ever-changing NOLA Roots Garden pie, Pizzicare offers a variety of pizzas made to order, as well as calzones and strombolis. If you’re in a rush, check out the pre-cut pizza slices on display. Also be sure to try the zesty marinated salad, a colorful tumble of olives, carrots and sweet peppers, and tossed lightly in herbed olive oil (it reminded us of a muffuletta salad, especially with the salami strips on top).

NOLA Green Roots, 3101 Tulane Avenue, 504.251.9818. NOLA Green Roots manages gardens in Mid-City and in the Ninth Ward, where they teach locals how to grow fresh produce, They’re also opening a Kids Village on Tulane Avenue, where children from pre-school to fifth grade will learn how to garden, raise farm animals, and integrate science with the field. Want to help sponsor the village? Give them a call.

-ANNE BERRY

New Orleans is replete with holiday-themed concerts, shows, and other events throughout December. Loyola is a big part of the festivities, with its popular Christmas concert, a Singing with Santa program, and a concert by the school’s Symphony Orchestra – all free and open to the public.  Recently I discussed these programs with Donald R. Boomgaarten, Ph.D., Dean of Loyola’s College of Music and Fine Arts.

You came from Loyola Maryland a few years ago to take over as director here.  How do you like it in New Orleans?

I love it in New Orleans. When I first came here on my interview, I went back to Baltimore and told my wife, “New Orleans reminds me of someplace, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.”  After a day or so I realized that it reminds me so much of Vienna.  I lived in Vienna for about 10 years, and it has the same kind of focus on culture and art.

You have a few big concerts this month.

The biggest event is Christmas at Loyola on Sunday December 4th at 3 p.m.  It’s a celebration of music related to the Christmas season. Many of our ensembles, including our symphony orchestra, our chorale, our brass choirs and even our jazz band get involved. They do some really exquisite pieces each year. There also are carols with which everyone can sing along, so there’s an audience participation aspect, which is very nice. There’s a brief address by the University President, Reverend Kevin Wildes, at the end, and I say a few words at the beginning. But mostly it’s about music.

The concert is preceded by an event called Singing With Santa for parents and kids, in the Joseph A. Danna Student Center.  Often people will come over from that to the concert.  Usually, Christmas at Loyola is packed with people.  It’s one of the most popular Christmas concerts in the city.

Can you talk about the Loyola Symphony Orchestra concert?

It takes place December 3rd, at 7:30.  The Orchestra’s conductor, Jean Montes [who also heads the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra], will conduct.  He’s a fantastic conductor and a great recruiter, and as a result, we have so many talented students studying strings and orchestrations that we could have two symphony orchestras if we wished. It’s a highly successful program, and they always do something wonderful for that concert.

We also have the one-act festival, put on by the College’s Theatre and Fine Arts program on December 2nd and 3rd. They are done by students, and they are quite delightful.

What else should people know about the College?

A lot of people in New Orleans still don’t know that this college, which before Katrina was the College of Music, is now the College of Music and Fine Arts and includes a theater department, a ballet department, and also a large visual arts and graphic design program. We went from a college with 250 students to 700 majors in the expanded college.

You host the Metropolitan Opera auditions in January.

That takes place on January 15th and 16th. The Metropolitan Opera has several regional centers that hold the auditions. Students can go to any one they wish. We traditionally have the one for the Gulf Coast region every year. The auditions are open to the public, so people can actually come and hear the students compete. Last year, there were eight finalists from all over the country, and I think half were from Loyola. We always have very strong representation in the competition. A number of our students have gone on to win that competition and sing at the Met.

Any closing thoughts?

We continue to work hard with the community, and really enjoy the status we have in the city.  It’s amazing – when I go out – how many people I meet who have a connection to Loyola, or who have seen exhibitions or plays or concerts here.  It’s a very big part of New Orleans.

For more information about these events, visit http://cmfa.loyno.edu/montage/events.

–

From November 29 to December 4, the classic musical South Pacific plays at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. This production – based on the wonderful 2008 Tony winning Lincoln Center Theater revival – has a beautiful score, including gems like “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” and “There Ain’t Nothing Like a Dame.”  The plot mixes romance, comedy and drama, and its confrontation of race and class was ahead of its time.  Director Bartlett Sher turned to James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel as well as the 1948 Broadway show in preparing the production, reinserting scenes originally removed and projecting the novel’s opening lines onto the curtain at the start of the show. The majestic, historically accurate sets; the maps which orient the viewer to the theater of war; and the staging and choreography won acclaim on Broadway and are thrilling audiences and critics alike on the national tour as well. Katie Reid plays Nellie Forbush and opera singer Marcelo Guzman co-stars as Emile de Becque.  For more information, visit http://www.southpacificontour.com/. I saw and loved the Lincoln Center production, and I urge musical theater lovers to grab a ticket before it’s too late.

-BETH HERSTEIN

I am unabashedly gaga for holiday decor. The flags come out for 4^th of July, Halloween jack-o’-lanterns are on display, and, our dining table fairly groans under the weight of a huge pumpkin piled high with masses of flowers, grapes and seasonal fruits at Thanksgiving.  Come December, it’s an all out effort to decorate for Christmas.

Enthusiastic for seasonal trimmings, I am also a true traditionalist. I like holidays in order: I get thrown seeing St. Nick on display before Halloween!Am I the only one who remembers the joy of seeing Santa in his sleigh appear at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?Today, for some he may be old news the morning of Turkey Day, but not for this gal. The tree awaits lights; garlands and bushels of ornaments wait to be hung on Thanksgiving Night after the football games, naps, whatever. And, there are no turkey sandwiches untila string of lights goes up.

Having gotten that off my chest, it’s time to plan, or,implement, December’s décor du jour. Red and green are always keen but silver seems to have won this year’s color theme awards. From sterling to Mercury glass, stars to tinsel,the season shines.

Here are a few ideas, to get the glitter and glow to take us all —no matter what holidays we celebrate — from the 1st of December to New Year’s Day.

• Mirrors reflect and dazzle like the Palace at Versailles. Even an inexpensive closet door mirror can be used as a table runner. Topped with white candles of varying heights, crystal and glass ornaments, you have high power glamour.

• Mix silver with bark covered candles along with holly berries and red ribbon for a rustic, “Aspen on the Mississippi” look.

• Baby’s-breath, gardenias, paper whites and white roses tucked into thatsilver rimmed wedding crystal you hardly ever use anymore makes a great statement. Demitasse cups do the job nicely, too.

• On a tight budget? Pumpkins are on sale after Thanksgiving. Spray paint silver or white! Pile on the mantel, linedown a table, place in baskets. Accent withbattery operated tea lights. Wow.

• Well-heeled? Dunn & Sonnier, the floral team who have amassed antiques at their Magazine shop, or, the incredibly innovative staff at Fischer Gambino in the Quarter and Metairie, will deck halls with gay abandon. There’s amaryllis by the armfuls; orchids woven into garlands; Italian wrinkle lights everywhere; life-size Tin Soldiers in doorways, bubble machines. Oh, my!

• Embrace your taste for all things French, Scandinavian, Western, Latina, or Balinese. Drape huge silk panels on tables; hang blankets over chair arms; light candles scented with pine, leather, roses, rosemary and birch. Even Long Horns get decorated; amusing is just as delightful as exquisite taste.

• Mirrored furniture is a great base for light-up plastic rings and things: line up by the dozen and turn on. Magic. Give as a memento as guests leave.

• You can never have too many apples, nuts, or bells. Mass them in baskets, galvanized buckets, or heaped on mantles.

• Never underestimate the power of candy silver bells! Pile high in silver goblets; pour bagfuls on huge trays made of everything from silver to Lucite to rustic wood. Be old-fashioned, pin them to a tree-shaped Styrofoam base and then watch them disappear.

• Nothing decorates better than a warm heart, a sincere smile and a good laugh. That’s what makes a house a home or a holiday feel more special.

-DIANE SUSTENDAHL

Photo: Derick E. Hingle

Thomas Morstead is the Saints’ secret weapon. In the Saints’ classic 26-23 victory over the incessantly bothersome Atlanta Falcons in week 10 of the NFL season, much was written and spoken in various quarters of the panicked Mike Smith, the Falcons’ head coach, trying to convert on fourth down; of the defensive line’s brilliant head-banging stop of the human bowling ball Michael Turner on that same try; of the Saints’ inability to stop Falcon wide receiver Harry Douglas as he repeatedly split the secondary for game-breaking plays. A myriad of other seemingly key factors in the game were similarly raised around town as the game was analyzed and dissected, but one element was yet again typically missing as it has so often been since 2009: that the punter, Thomas Morstead, had delivered killing, maybe deciding, blows ultimately sealing the opponent’s fate.

On a day when he would nail three punts inside the Falcons’ twenty-yard line, the most important one came just about at the game’s final two minute mark after the Saints’ Jimmy Graham had been called for an extremely questionable holding penalty negating a lead-stretching field goal by John Kasay. Morstead lifted a perfect floater that the Falcons’ dangerous return man, pro bowler Eric Weems, had almost no hope of returning.  And indeed he did not as he was forced to call for a fair catch at the six-yard line, rather than risk further incursion into his team’s side of the field. With just a shade under two minutes left, it was then that Matt Ryan (still capable, but nonetheless second fiddle in any matchup with Drew Brees) began his march down the field with crossing strikes to speedy, but usually underutilized, Harry Douglas, consisting of three passes in quick succession for an amazing sixty-six yards in just sixty-seven seconds. A surely somewhat winded Falcons offense, facing an increasingly steelier defense, took another seven plays and thirty-four seconds to reach the Saints’ nine-yard line. There, after another two plays and another nine seconds that seemed to last an eternity, the Falcons finally wilted under Gregg Williams’ constantly bold aggressiveness and were forced into a game tying field goal.

The important thing there was not solely Roman Harper’s’ near-goal-line interception or the amazing emergence of Jo-Lonn Dunbar as an on-field captain in clutch-time, but that the fourteen yards of field position created by Morstead – the difference between a touchback presenting the Falcons with beginning at their twenty as opposed to their own six yard line – had proved crucial in preventing a touchdown considering that Ryan had managed to drive all the way to the Saints’ nine-yard line.

Earlier in the game, but again, right at the end of the half with close to just a minute left with the Saints leading, Morstead had done nearly the exact same thing, turning over a beautiful kick that left Courtney Roby controlling the ball at the Falcons’ one-yard line. The Falcons found themselves trailing by just four in a game that pretty much would determine many of their season’s goals. They also had stopped the Saints and certainly had high hopes for a large momentum switch right before the half but then they found themselves pinned as closely to their own goal and as far away from the Saints’ as was mathematically possible. As would happen, at the end of the second half, the Falcons drove down the field efficiently enough, but stalled and had to settle for a field goal attempt that their kicker Matt Bryant would miss. Again, a touchback by Morstead would have resulted in almost an extra twenty yards of field position for the Falcons and possibly another three points or another seven if the Falcons had been fortunate in a few respects. Ultimately in the final three minutes of two halves, Morstead may have given the defense another thirty-five yards of field position while taking crucial seconds off the clock and as many as seven points off the board. However, Morstead was not done. As the intense game progressed into the overtime period, the importance of field position became extreme.  Ultimately, after an exchange of possessions, Morstead would send the ball booming sixty-four yards with authority, giving the Falcons a touchback at their twenty.  Frustrated yet again, the Falcons found themselves exactly back where they had started. Four plays later, perhaps sensing the inevitable (either Brees would score or Morstead would knock them back again) Smith would fold.

The kick is the play that literally defines the sport of football; it is the tie that binds all games called “football” across the world, from soccer to Australian-rules football to rugby. And while it is true that Drew Brees is the lynchpin in any Saints victories in the future, there remains a ghost in the machine that is the sport of modern NFL football affecting all teams, one in which a talented punter can change the course of the game by altering the field position beyond the control of even the game’s biggest stars and coaches. While there have been very few special punters of such ability in modern times, it is growing ever more apparent that the Saints may just have one in Thomas Morstead.

-PAUL WEGMANN

Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut
This classic is tastefully dry, infused with flavors of butter and brioche and a high concentration of candied fruit, ginger bread and vanilla. Goes great with fresh fruit salads or lightly sauced white meats.

Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry
Rich and creamy, slightly sweet with apple and a lingering toasty finish, this bubbly complements sushi or Pan-Asian Cuisine.

Riondo, Spago Nero Prosecco
This Italian gem is effusively fruity and lightbodied, offering terrific floral notes and a clean delicate finish. Serve with light fish and mild cheeses.

Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label Champagne
Dominated by Pinot Noir, this wine has firm structure, rounded with a touch of Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay gives it the elegance and finesse needed for perfect balance. Wonderful with pasta or risotto with cream or mushroom sauce.

Piper-Heidsieck Brut
Toasty aromas leap from the glass in this firm, deliciously mature wine. Enjoy with Oysters Rockefeller or cold lobster.

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, Napa Valley
A crisp and balanced dry sparkling wine mixes aromas of melon and citrus. Pairs well with crabcakes and hard, salty cheeses.

When people think of winter ailments, colds and cold sores often come to mind.  “Typically the common cold is viral and cold sores are also viral, but it is typically two different viruses so they are not necessarily related,” said Dr. Margaret Morel-Pelitere, an internal medicine physician at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans. When you have a cold, you know it.  “For symptoms, you are looking at sneezing, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea or nasal discharge, a cough, low grade fever, headache and just a general sensation of fatigue and malaise that can last between five and seven days,” said Morel-Pelitere.

Cold season lasts fall through spring, but is usually self-limiting; the key is to treat the symptoms.  “If someone is coughing, you give them a cough medication; decongestants help with nasal congestion and drainage,” said Morel-Pelitere. The only worry about decongestants is that people with high blood pressure should avoid taking them regularly or long-term. “Increase water intake because a lot of the medications are drying and moist things help to decrease symptoms, so if you moisten the mucus and thin it out, it helps to absorb it better,” recommended Morel-Pelitere. There are also alternative and herbal remedies like Echinacea and zinc as well as mixed studies on vitamin C. “Once you get the cold, vitamin C is not going to help you recover faster and then there are zinc preparations which are also over-the-counter but have a few bad side effects like bad taste,” said Morel-Pelitere.

Cold sores are generally transmitted from person to person. “You can get it if you have a friend with a cold sore and take a sip of a drink using a straw,” said Morel-Pelitere. Typically the duration of cold sores is about a week, just like colds.  “There are anti-virals and anti-herpes medications and the sooner you start on them, the better you are as far as decreasing the duration of the cold sores,” said Morel-Pelitere. Similar to colds, they are self-limiting and will go away on their own in a patient with a normal immune system. “Cold sores start in kids and the first time you get it, you can get a fever, body aches, blister somewhere around your lip or oral area and before you get the lesion, you get pain and tingling in the area,” explained Morel-Pelitere. Although people do not want a lesion on their lip, it is not a serious medical condition.

People who are in contact with another individual who is on the verge of developing a cold sore, can get one as well. “People do not necessarily realize that tingling and pain means you are contagious even though the lesion may not break out until the afternoon, so that is one of the reasons it is hard to stop the spread,” said Morel-Pelitere.  For both colds and cold sores, good hygiene, avoiding people that are sick and trying to stay in good physical health will reduce the frequency you get ill. It is important to know when to seek medical evaluation. “The very old or very young should check in with a physician if their symptoms include high fever, bad headaches, significant sore throat or anything that is more severe than the normal annoyance,” said Morel-Pelitere. It is a good idea to be seen if you can say “yes” to any of the following: you have a complicated medical history, are a cancer survivor or are being treated for cancer, have rheumatoid arthritis and are on steroids or other medications that can affect your immune system.

With cold sores, early intervention makes a difference. “The sooner you start the medication for treatment, it decreases the duration of the outbreak,” said Morel-Pelitere. Patients are usually given a prescription with a refill so if they get their symptoms back in two, three or six months, they know what to expect.  For colds, there are more over-the-counter options such as expectorants, antihistamines and decongestants. The only two that require prescriptions are nasal antihistamines and nasal steroids. “The only caution is if the patient is pregnant or on complicated medications. They may want to check with their gynecologist to confirm and support whether they can use something,” said Morel-Pelitere.

There are also a few dietary secrets to prevent developing colds and cold sores. “Anything that has vitamin C will prevent you from getting sick and the maximum amount that you would need to boost your immune system is about 250 extra milligrams which you can get easily with food,” said Rebecca Lee, a dietician at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie. Broccoli, kale and citrus fruit are a few good sources. “Make sure you eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day during the flu season and stay hydrated because that is important in preventing you from getting sick,” suggested Lee.

Though vitamin C is the main immune booster, there are others. “Any antioxidant will boost the immune system which includes vitamins A, C, E and D and you can get them with a good variety of colored fruits and vegetables,” said Lee.  Beta-carotene is also an example of vitamin A and it can be found in sweet potatoes and carrots. “Vitamin D is found in fatty fish and dietary fortified dairy products will be highest,” said Lee. Vitamin E can be found in nuts, seeds, olive oil, canola oil and almonds. To make sure you’re consuming enough of these vitamins, Lee recommends getting your levels checked by a doctor.

Lee says it’s also important to focus on your diet for overall good health. “Avoid trans fats, saturated fats, high-sodium and high-sugar items and focus more on fruits, vegetables, dairy products, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, lean meat and healthy fat so you will be better off, have less inflammation and function better,” said Lee. When the weather starts changing, it is inevitable that people get sick but you can always turn to your primary care physician or a dietician for guidance on how to sail smoothly through the season.

-JAMIE LOBER

Last month we began discussing how to interpret the nutrition facts panel on food labels, as well as how to decipher claims made by manufacturers. Advertising can be misleading, so it’s critical to look beyond the front of the box. Understanding labels is important, especially if you have particular health problems. Previously we discussed fat and calories and now we will take a look at how to read sodium, cholesterol, fiber, carbohydrate, and sugar content of foods.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revised its recommendations on sodium guidelines. Healthy people should stay below 2300 milligrams or a teaspoonof sodium per day.People with high blood pressure, and other risk groups, should limit to 1800 milligrams per day. The majority of our salt intake does not come from the shaker, but rather it is hidden in many foods that are not always as obvious. Did you know that graham crackers can have more sodium than some potato chips? As a rule of thumb, limit snack foods to 250 milligrams of sodium per serving. Frozen dinners should not exceed 600 milligrams. Limiting processed foods is always advisable to limit sodium.

Many labels tout “cholesterol free” on the front of the box as a selling point. Any food that is not derived from an animal source is naturally cholesterol free. All foods that come from animals (meats, dairy products, eggs, seafood) contain cholesterol. However, if you’re trying to lower cholesterol levels, saturated fat has a much bigger impact on cholesterol levels than the actual cholesterol found in food. “Cholesterol free” is usually just a selling tool.

Dietary fiber contentin packaged foods can be confusing if you don’t know what to look for. Several foods advertize “made with whole grain” on the front of the box. This usually means the product is made primarily from white flour with a small amount of grains added to the mix. This allows the company to say it’s made with whole grain, which is usually appealing to consumers looking to eat healthier. Think of all of the sugary kids cereals that boldly put these claims on their labels.  The only foods that are a good source of fiber list whole wheat or whole grain—not enriched flour—as one of the first ingredients. And, dietary fiber on the nutrition panel should be at least three grams per serving.

Fiber is typically listed under the “total carbohydrate” heading. If blood sugar control is a concern, grams of fiber per serving can be subtracted from total carbohydrate count to determine the carbohydrate impact on blood sugar, especially for diabetics. For example,Triscuits contain three grams of fiber per serving, with a total of 20 grams of carbohydrate per serving, so 17 grams of carbohydrate will impact blood sugar levels.This number can be referred to as “net carbohydrates”on a label. Fiber in complex carbohydrates take longer to digest than simple, white flour based starches, helping to stabilize blood sugar.

Sugar is also listed under “total carbohydrates.”As a very general rule of thumb, look for less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. More importantly, look for as little added sugars as possible in any food. Some examples of sugar on ingredient lists are: as high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, caramel, cane sugar, and corn syrup. Some foods naturally contain sugar. For example, plain yogurt usually has about eight grams of sugar per container, but if you look at the ingredients, no sugar is actually added. Limit your sugar intake for overall better health.

Whatever health concerns you may have—lowering cholesterol, reducing sodium intake to control high blood pressure, manage blood sugar, or to simply eat better—it’s important to know what’s in the food you eat.  Learning how to read and understand food labels will help you make healthier choices.

-ELESHA KELLEHER

It’s a Wrap

It was a splendid year for style and fashion in the city. We witnessed two industry-focused fashion weeks sponsored by the New Orleans Fashion Council,several chic retail openings in the Warehouse District, on Magazine Street and New Orleans’ environs. Our malls brought in high profile companies like Anthropologie, Michael Kors and the archetypalBrooks Brothers received a facelift. New Orleans has never looked so chic and our unique creative flair is not unappreciated.

Mariah had it all Wrong

The holidays are a time for merriment – a fewweeks to share and receive joy and an occasion to frolic andreverie—which is not unlike any other day here in the city. I asked some polished citizens ofNew Orleans what they would put on their“Style Wish List”, what they arecraving this season or what makes their heart race in spite of having been naughty or nice. When Mrs. Carey-Cannon sang the #1 Billboard Holiday song of all time, “All I want for Christmas is You,” she obviously did not talk to these folks. The consensus this season trends towards authenticity and timelessness. In light of the Kardasian/Humphries debacle, society needs the “real” back in reality.

The Holiday Lust List

“I’m getting in a big holiday shipment of The Words collection from my favorite jewelry designer Sydney Evans [www.sydneyevan.com]. I’m putting a yellow Love ring, a white Dream ring and a rose goldring on my list! I’m going to stack them to wear on my ring finger.” Jenny Carr, Owner of Snap Boutique

“A Chanel Chromatic timepiece, [made of] titanium and ceramic for $6,600.00 and if someone would like to buy it for me I would be most grateful.”Mike May, Jewelry Specialist, Saks 5th Avenue, and recently voted New Orleans’ Most Stylish Man

“Ooooh, the classic orange HEnamel bracelet from Hermés, that’s topping my wish list. It’s iconic.” Melissa Green, Avalon Retail Consulting and a sartorially smart-girl-about-town

“Well, I have been naughty but in a very nice way; all I want for Christmas is the Triple CVintage Chanel necklace hanging around my neck. Also, I will take a Balenciaga [handbag] in neon stuffed in my stocking.” Jacquelyn Hood, Chatta Box Boutique

“I have been very good and I hope Santa brings me a black Ducati Monster with a full face helmet and padded jacket; free time to ride it would be nice too.” Ken Gowland, Architect, Metrostudio

“I desire a Vintage Cartier Tank watch. I won’t even wear a timepiece unless that’s it! Dreaming is free.” Andrea Hardaway, Visual Manager, Anthropologie, New Orleans

“I would like a buckle front cape, some colorful fingerless gloves with the matching hat.” Brittany Robinson, Fashion Stylist Intern and Senior, Tulane University

The Elves Shop Local

My list this year includes a bevy of services and luxuries that are available right here in New Orleans. No need to jump on your iPad, search Amazon or bid on eBay; these tidbits can easily be picked up or called in for purchase.

- Someone to organize my office and closet, creating an orderly and beautiful space for my clothes and accessories.

• The Occasional Wife, 4306 Magazine Street, New Orleans, (504) 302-9893www.theoccasionalwife.com

- AG Adriano Goldschmied Sequined Ankle Leggings in midnight blue. Since I do not currently have any plans for New Years’ Eve, I am sure I will be sporting them to Rouse’s Supermarket.

• Saks 5th Avenue, The Shops at Canal Place, New Orleans see Jonathan Falgout for purchase

- A faux fur vest, leather pants and long fitted tees from my favorite boutiques.

• SNAP, 617 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 849-9988
• Hemline, 605 Metairie Rd, Suite B, Metairie, (504) 309-8778
• Chatta Box, 4114 Veterans Memorial Boulevard Metairie, (504) 454-1527
• Lola, 622 S. Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, (504)301-9410
• Azby’s, 5531 Magazine Street New Orleans, (504) 895-1311

- Loungewear that is appropriate in the company of children, andnot reminiscent of grandma’s housecoat.I’d also love a few pieces for later that might be worn by Fleur de Tease.

• Anthropologie New Orleans, The Shops at Canal Place, (504)592-9972
• Basics Underneath, 5513 Magazine Street New Orleans (504) 894-1000
• House of Lounge, 2044 Magazine Street, New Orleans, (504)671-8300

- Lululemon Athletica pants, shorts and jacket to wear to Nola Pilates.

• Lululemon Athletica, 802 Nashville Avenue New Orleans,(504) 895-2895
• Life Boutique,5422 Magazine Street, New Orleans, (504) 267-0380
• Nola Pilates, 6268 Vicksburg Street New Orleans, (504) 483-8880

Hope you have a dashing holiday season, happy shopping!

- AIMEE GOWLAND

Aveda Cosmetic Trends

Update your look. In terms of hair, texture is big along with transitioning from lighter to darker hair. “We are seeing a lot of chocolate, auburn and copper tones and guys are growing their hair out and not shaving as often,” said David Connor, stylist/colorist at Hair Loft. They are keeping the five o’clock shadow as women aim for darker tones. “Women are letting their roots grow in so there is a darker base at the root and it fades out to lighter on the ends like Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel and Jennifer Lopez,” said Connor. This creates softness and enhances your body shape.

Choose your hair care products wisely. “Sulfate and paraben-free shampoos are the trend now because they allow you to have longer color life and keep the natural oils instead of stripping your hair of what is good nutrition,” said Connor. You want to avoid silicones and sodium in the shampoo and consider the chemical makeup. “The proper way to shampoo is to do your roots to ends and with conditioner, do your ends to roots,” said Connor. Pay attention to dyes. “It is important not to use box dyes because of the high ammonia content which stresses and damages the hair,” said Connor. If you want to do a minor dye job, you may add a few highlights around the face, soften the jaw line or accentuate different features.

Tap into the season’s hot colors and styles. “People are going towards reds and adding more coppery tones,” said Paige Klumpp, designer at Paris Parker Salon. Variations of the fringe with bangs are also popular. “Braids are in styling-wise and people are doing all sorts of braiding techniques like fishtail braids, on the side, on the top and maybe just a small one leaving the hair down,” said Klumpp.

Don’t be afraid of change. When it is time to style your hair, be bold. “People are pushing the line of what normal society is and though we are going natural this winter, people are always evolving and want to see change,” said Connor. “We are doing natural, earthy, soft tones for winter but spring and summer will bring out avant-garde, trendy looks, more aggression, a heavier weight line and texture integrated,” predicted Connor. You do not have to do anything elaborate to look beautiful. “We are reverting back to curls in our natural texture which is a beach wave and highlights that are sun-kissed,” said Connor.

Treat your hair nicely. “People with good, healthy hair are not flat ironing or using heating tools without heat protection and paying attention to their hair and the stress levels it can take,” said Connor. Men should not be using gel. “Men should use wax, paste or putties that give a more dry style versus an aggressive, hard, flakey look,” advised Connor. The downside of gels is that they have high amounts of alcohol that allows hair to turn hard and increases breakage.

Put a little shine on your face. For makeup, shiny is in style. “Makeup is not necessarily sparkly but has a glow and people are doing fun colors like great purple, green and gold,” said Klumpp. You can use the colors as eyeliner or for shadowing the eyes. “People are doing bright colors for nails or a wild lipstick with something softer around the eyes,” suggests Klumpp. You want to be flashy without being glittery. “People like the shimmer like dark purple or pretty brown colors for fall and red as the holidays come around,” said Klumpp. A lot of people do not go heavy with the eyes. “Keep it softer with a little bit of eyeliner and mascara and a brighter lip color like a bright pink or red for daytime and a smokier eye for nighttime that is a more dramatic tone,” recommends Klumpp. Dark greens and browns are in style as well as charcoal grey.

Remember, beauty doesn’t stop at your neck. During the holidays, workouts usually move to the bottom of our lists, leaving us feeling scattered with so many things to do. A great way to get your center back and keep your muscles toned is taking a class at Romney Pilates Center. “In Pilates you can shut off the world and focus on yourself. Every move needs to have complete focus to combine the breath, the form and the actual movement together…it’s not a mindless workout,” said founder Erin Romney. The studio also offers Yin Release classes. “This class is unlike any I’ve seen. We’ve combined concepts from Pilates, Yin Yoga, myofacial release and functional stretching. This class is good for any type of body that needs alignment retraining and flexibility/range of movement improvement,” explains Romney. The class also benefits anyone involved in repetitive motion, from standing and driving to running and cycling. ”Set to chill music and dim lights, you’ll leave this class feeling relaxed and renewed.”

Whether you opt to try one, a few or all of our suggestions to get your glamorous holiday glow, we’re confident that you’ll be glad you indulged yourself in the best in beauty that this season, and the experts at our local salons and spas have to offer.

The Hair Loft, 5300 Tchoupitoulas Street, (504) 895-2911, www.hairloftnola.com

Paris Parker Aveda Salon, 5434 Magazine Street, (504) 891-1012 www.parisparker.com

Romney Pilates Center, 5619 Magazine Street, (504) 895-1167 www.romneypilates.com

Styles curated by Leslie J. Almeida

PHOTO: Christopher Beyer

American actor Billy Burke has carved out a compelling career for himself. From starring opposite Diane Lane in “Untraceable,” to playing the role of Gary Matheson in the second season of “24,” to co-starring with Nicolas Cage as a diabolical cult leader in “Drive Angry 3D,” the busy actor has racked up impressive credits that span both the television and film worlds. But it’s his recent recurring role in the box office mega-hit series “Twilight,” “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling vampire romance novels, that’s got him in a extremely bright spotlight all around the world. On November 19, the highly anticipated fourth installment of the Twilight series, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” will jolt theaters everywhere, with Burke reprising his role as Charlie Swan, the Chief of Police of Forks, Wash., and a divorced yet devoted dad to Bella Swan, actress Kristen Stewart’s wildly popular character.

As a newly heavy hitter for film production, Louisiana played host to part of both upcoming Twilight Saga sequels, “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” and “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” (set for release in 2012), which were filmed simultaneously in Baton Rouge. During his time here, Burke got the chance to know New Orleans on a deeper level and deems it one of his all-time favorite cities. New Orleans Living spoke with Burke by phone in Hollywood about things like film, his passion for music and his time in New Orleans, and can understand why the dry-witted native of Bellingham, Wash., has been perfectly cast in the varied and interesting roles he plays.

Hi Billy! “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” will be released this month, which was shot in Louisiana.

Hey Christine, yeah, we did. It wasn’t my first time I shot a movie there. We shot “Drive Angry” in Shreveport. And I’m sure it won’t be my last, because there is so much production going on down there and it’s such a welcoming place for films to shoot. We already shot the second part of “Breaking Dawn” in Baton Rouge and that’ll be out next year. Other parts were done in Vancouver.

Did you get to spend any quality time in New Orleans while working in Louisiana?

Yes, I had my wife and my 3-year-old daughter with me, and a friend of mine was working on another movie down in New Orleans, and we stayed with him and had one of the best weeks we’ve had in recent memory. It was a beautiful time of the year and we were in a nice house in a great part of town, and I got to see a side of New Orleans I never really got to see before. I’ve been to New Orleans several times, but mostly just in the Quarter, and never really saw all the other stuff that the city has. It’s really one of my favorite cities. My wife is from England and she says that a lot of New Orleans doesn’t even feel like you are in America. It feels like a much more rich, European-type city.

Even cities in close proximity to New Orleans, like Baton Rouge, have a completely different vibe than the one New Orleans gives off.

Oh, wildly different! Like I mentioned, we shot “Drive Angry” in Shreveport, which is worlds away from New Orleans.

For sure! When you were in New Orleans, did you check out any music?

Yeah, I did. I can’t name any specifics, but I always make it a point to stop in and see music if I hear it playing, so we did that several times on several occasions. We were actually there during Jazz Fest and didn’t get a lot of chances to go see all the stuff that we would have loved to have seen, because our daughter was 2 at the time, and as you can imagine, that takes a lot of time and attention, so we didn’t have time to do that. But we did a lot of stuff with her that wasn’t really music related.

You must have enjoyed the food while you were here…

Oh man! I wish I could remember the name of this restaurant, it was so divine. I’m going to text someone and find out the name of that restaurant right now. It was just outside the Quarter, and oh, man! From appetizer to dessert, I had some stuff that I hadn’t ever had in my mouth before, it was so great. I’m going to get the name of it for you. …

Cool. So how did you become the chosen one to play Bella’s father in the “Twilight” movies?

(Laughs). Well, the story goes something like this: Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the first movie, had seen a little quirky independent film called “Dill Scallion” that I did years ago, a fake documentary about the rise and fall of this country singer. I played this crazy country singer, and it had this underground following. She asked my agent to have me come in, and I actually had no clue what “Twilight” even was. I had no idea what the books were about, obviously, I had never heard of it. So I went in and I read the Charlie Swan role and the Carlisle Cullen role, Peter Facinelli’s role, the father of the vampires. And I was so drawn to Charlie’s role, I just wanted to concentrate on it. After we were done, Catherine said, ‘Go Google “Twilight.”’ So I went home and Googled it and saw that there was this vast, enormous world of fanship out there. Couple of days later, we got a call that Catherine was interested in me for the role. And we never looked back. She said, “You want to do this?” and I said, “Absolutely!” (Laughs). So it sort of came about in the normal way, but there was something m