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Oysters at St. Roch and Piety Pizza at the Rusty Rainbow

(Update 2016: the girls are no longer slinging oysters at St. Roch Mkt.)

I drove in a serpentine fashion uptown to get to Riverbend, or maybe it was more like playing Pacman- right turn! no, go back, hurry! 2 left turns…. forward forward get it GET IT…..Ugh Uptown folks, I feel for ya these days.
Did that to retrieve visiting Greg R, so we could catch up downtown at St. Roch Market. Not sure what I think of St. Roch yet. Maybe you know me and you suspect I have a dozen or so theories and just-formed opinions about St. Roch and you’d be right. I know I like the oysters at Effie and Melissa’s stand: had East Coast (1), West Coast (1), and Gulf Coast (6) oysters.
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Yes, these two women are longtime pals of mine, buddies from the farmers market/Festivus/White Boot Brigade trenches, but even so, they know their food and hosting, friends of mine or not. The GC were from a St. Bernard oysterman and  so robust in flavor and huge that it’s hard to fully appreciate the others.  Effie told me specifics about his business and his oysters, (which I then later thought might be good for everyone to see when they come, maybe on a chalkboard?) That level of detail, along with their Cajun authenticity, are important for people to know, I think. The pickled shrimp was really good- the sauce is fresh and sweet and clean. Next “door” the rum drink was nice, as was the bite of the dirty mac with crawfish and tasso from the other end of the hall. Greg bought some sheepshead, kale, garlic (acted like it was a market or something) to make his hosts some non-JF dinner. We discussed the Koreole vendor (which looked inviting especially on a cold winter day, not so much right now oops) and how Asian food in the last 20 years or so keeps expanding. Is it because Americans have become more comfortable with the different nationalities and cultures so we see more breaking away from calling all Asian restaurants Chinese? Or is this about successive generations feeling more comfortable staking their claim in the restaurant business, serving what is authentic and yet Americanized as an experience?
We decided to leave the hall to get a slice at Pizza Delicious and for the first time for me, not another eater was in there. I’m sure it’s a temporary lull, but let’s remember that it remains one of the best slices in town (I hear salads are top notch too, but I’ll probably never know) with charming service. As we went in, the Piety Ironworks was abuzz with a party- seemed to be a film thing as, oddly, the actor who played Red Forman in The 70s Show (or Robocop character ______ someone else pointed out) was standing in the middle of the street, seemingly waiting for either a ride (Greg said waiting for his Uber) or maybe he was hoping for a second line. In any case he graciously allowed those who asked to take a pic with him, which seemed an appropriate end to this new set of experiences. Who says non- JazzFest days are off days?

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Campanella at Jazz Fest next week with new book

Campanella, a Tulane University geographer who occasionally writes for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, has come in under the radar with his new book. He will launch “Lost New Orleans” with an April 30 event at the Jazz Fest Book Tent. Filled with grand archival photographs, Campanella’s book ranges across the centuries, cataloging a remarkable array of lost landmarks, from the French Opera House to the Rivergate Exhibition Hall.

If that sounds intriguing, check out Campanella’s much discussed “Bourbon Street: A History,” which vividly detailed the city’s most famous thoroughfare. In a 2014 interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, he said, “Bourbon Street is a totally authentic, only-in-New-Orleans phenomenon – and a grand success. That’s hard for some people to swallow.”

all of the signings:

FIRST WEEKEND
April 24 – Friday

2-3 p.m., Laura Lane McNeal, “Dollbaby”

3-4 p.m., Tom Cooper, “Marauders”

4-5 p.m., Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and Rachel Breunlin, “Talk That Music Talk”

April 25 – Saturday

Noon–1 p.m., Chontel Carter Frank, “The Adventurous NoLa Kids Go to the Ruined Mansion”

3-4 p.m., Keith Weldon Medley, “Black Life in Old New Orleans”

4-5 p.m., Patrice Joseph, “Water Line: My Family’s Journey Before, During and After Hurricane Katrina”

5-6 p.m., Dawn Chartier, “Bewitching the Enemy”

5:15-5:30 p.m., Irvin Mayfield, “New Orleans Jazz Playhouse” (Event in Grandstand)

April 26 – Sunday

1-2 p.m., Barri Bronston, “Walking New Orleans”

3-4 p.m., Ashley Kahn, “Universal Tone: Bring My Story to Light, Carlos Santana”

4-5 p.m., Kourtni Mason, “Little Miss Dancey Pants”

SECOND WEEKEND
April 30 – Thursday

1-2 p.m., Bill Loehfelm, “Doing the Devil’s Work”

2-3 p.m., Leif Pederson, “Adventures of Swamp Kids – A Zoo Ta-Do”

3-4 p.m., Richard Campanella, “Lost New Orleans”

May 1 – Friday

1-2 p.m., Bernie Cook, “Flood of Images”

3-4 p.m., Guy Lyman III, “A Big Easy Childhood”

4-5 p.m., Dennis McNally, “On Hwy 61: Race, Music and the Evolution of Cultural Freedom”

May 2 – Saturday

Noon–1 p.m., M.O. Walsh, “My Sunshine Away”

1-2 p.m., Cornell Landry, “Good Night Cajun Land”

2-3 p.m., Michael Pitre, “Fives and Twenty-Fives”

3-4 p.m., Troy Andrews & Brian Collier, “Trombone Shorty”

May 3 – Sunday

1-2 p.m., Brian Boyles, “New Orleans: Boom and Blackout”

2-3 p.m., Johnette Downing, “Fifolet

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New Orleans City Council (mostly) bans big trucks in French Quarter

I could show you DOZENS of these pictures...

I could show you DOZENS of these pictures…

Honestly, large signs that warn of this ban at each street that directs traffic into the Quarter will help. Additionally, high fines for being in the Quarter, levied from photographs submitted by any citizen who is willing to also sign an affidavit that the photo is real; say 500.00 to start…
Maybe the French Market Corp could make some income by using small electric trucks to deliver some goods from larger trucks delivered to their Barracks shed to restaurants and bars in the center of the Quarter?

Trucks longer than 36 feet can no longer freely maneuver through the historic neighborhood. That is unless their owners opt to pay $125 a year or $10 per trip to basically dodge the ban.

New Orleans City Council (mostly) bans big trucks in French Quarter | NOLA.com.

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Where did the oil go?

Monday was the 5-year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The loss of wildlife and nesting habitats is incalculable and will never be recovered.

This was from the local news on the anniversary:

Beshel’s Marina in East Pointe ala Hache on the east bank of lower Plaquemines Parish resembled a ghost town on Monday. Owner Don Beshel said before the BP spill, more than 100 boats would normally tie up to his docks. Now there are only about a dozen boats left, and most of them haven’t left the marina in months….

Barisich said BP has an obligation to clean up the fisheries and rebuild the oyster reefs.
“The oysters are like the canary in the coal mine,” he said. “Until we get our oyster reefs back, which would purify the water and make the environment better, we’re going to be at a standstill.”

This is from the National Resources Defense Council:

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Night concerts during JazzFest

This, obviously, will be amazing:
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic with DJ Soul Sister
Sunday at House of Blues (225 Decatur St., 504-310-4999; http://www.houseofblues.com. Tickets $40.)

and this:
1913-2013 Orchestra
Bassist, composer and eclectic experimenter James Singleton leads his 1913-2013 Orchestra through an improvisational set exploring New Orleans music across a century. Joining the symphony are trumpeter Satoru Ohashi, saxophonist Rex Gregory, drummer Justin Peake, trombonist Rick Trolsen and guitarist Chris Alford. The orchestra performs at Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center 7 p.m. Friday (1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 504-827-5858; http://www.zeitgeistinc.net. Tickets $15 general admission, $10 Zeitgeist members).

more here:

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/night-concerts-during-jazz-fest/Content?oid=2189237

a few more listed here:

http://www.wwltv.com/story/entertainment/2015/04/21/5-evening-shows-to-see-the-first-weekend-of-jazz-fest/26083689/

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Navy Week in New Orleans

http://nolanavyweek.com/

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Ships from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Great Britain and Canada will line the shores of the Mississippi River and you’re invited to join in on the action. Starting Friday, April 24th, the ships will be open for General Public Visitation – explore as many as you can! Hours for ships may vary by day, so take a look at our calendar or the individual ship’s pages and start planning. School and community groups are also invited to learn more about scheduling private group tours.

    Historic New Orleans Collection will have lectures for Navy Week

As part of New Orleans Navy Week 2015, The Historic New Orleans Collection will host a special presentation on April 27, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at THNOC’s Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street just a few blocks away from the riverfront, where the visiting ships will be docked.

The program will feature two lectures moderated by Cyril Lagnavec, who teaches at Jesuit High School and the US Naval College.

William H. Forman, professor at the Naval War College in New Orleans, will open the program with his talk “The 1814 Battle of Lake Borgne: Prelude to Victory,” which will examine the naval engagement between US and British forces that preceded the monumental Battle of New Orleans.

Jason Wiese, associate director of THNOC’s Williams Research Center, will follow with his presentation “United States v. Andrew Jackson: The Fight over Martial Law in New Orleans,” which will explore Jackson’s decision to impose military rule in New Orleans in December 1814 and to keep it in effect after the war’s end, as well as the controversies that ensued.

New Orleans Navy Week will take place April 23–29, 2015, with a host of events at venues throughout the city. The program at The Historic New Orleans Collection is free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged and may be made by calling THNOC (504) 523-4662 or emailing wrc@hnoc.org.

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HNOC Concerts in the Courtyard

Tonight, stop and listen to one of the best clarinetists in town perform in the lovely Royal Street courtyard of the Historic New Orleans Collection.

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