IS IT BACK?
Rediscovering the food, music, art and culture of New Orleans
BY MICHAEL CLEMENTS
Is the "Big Easy" back? It's a question travelers to New Orleans
will be asking for some time. Memories of fl oodwaters and scenes
of survival linger like the high-water marks, which stain the region's
estimated 276,000 abandoned homes. Yes, the devastation is real;
yes, it is tragic. Yet, through its music, food, and rich cultural
heritage, the Crescent City is slowly regaining its mojo.
WHEN THE TOURISTS COME MARCHING BACK
My driver "Brother Rolls" got his name because, as
he asserts, "he can roll with anyone" - lately, that's
included rolling with adversity. At 62, he is trying to
put the pieces of his life back post-Katrina. His ten
children and extended family of 36 are either living
in FEMA-supplied trailers, or have been displaced
across the South from Texas to Atlanta. Brother
Rolls tells of wading in murky chest-deep waters
as he struggled to evacuate his home, but as we
pass the Superdome, his voice strikes an optimistic
note. Below the dozen or so men repairing the
stadium's roof hangs a massive banner: "Coming
Soon," it proclaims, "September 24, 2006 New
Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons." "The Saints
are coming back," he says, "and we got a new
quarterback, and that Reggie Bush, he's gonna be
great." Football is back, 20,000 of the city's 25,000
hotel rooms are full (there were 80,000 rooms
before the storm), and tourists are again flocking
to the French Quarter and Garden District ... there
is life at the mouth of the Mississippi.
BEIGNETS, DONE THAT
Eating entirely too much is a time-honored New
Orleans tradition. Within an hour of being dropped
at Marriott's Renaissance Arts Hotel in the middle
of the Warehouse/Arts District on 700 Tchoupitoulas
Street, I'm standing in a line outside the famed Poydras
Street institution, Mother's. The red brick walls of the
soul food restaurant's unassuming exterior are covered
with "Help Wanted" signs: busboys, waiters, cooks, etc.
Like Mother's, the city of "NOLA" seems be getting
back on its feet. The oyster po' boy and jambalaya,
both rich and filling are well worth the wait.
Cafe Du Monde on Jefferson Park at Decatur
Street is the perfect spot for a cup of iced Cafe' au
lait and a beignet to get the blood flowing before
a humid stroll through the French Quarter. Canal
Street was flooded after Katrina, but the Central
Business District, downtown and French Quarter
are back. Bourbon Street is still one step away from
resembling spring break in Daytona. The Quarter's
eclectic boutiques are stocked with fashion, and the
art galleries remain tucked away between the 18th and 19th century Spanish and French-influenced
balconied three-story buildings. At night, the rhythms
of zydeco and blues continue to mix with the sounds
of revelers partying until dawn.
WHERE FOR ART THOU...
Along with food, drink and music, art is the fourth
pillar of Crescent City culture. Exploring the Quarter
and up-and-coming Warehouse/Arts District holds
the promise of discovering a vibrant, unknown
artist. Located west of Canal Street, the district is
the future of the New Orleans creative scene. The
neighborhood is now home to stylish and trendy loft
apartments and a number of galleries, including The
Ogden Museum of Southern Art (925 Camp St.);
Ariodante (535 Julia St.); Arthur Roger Gallery (432
Julia St.), and Steve Martin Studio (624 Julia St.).
CREOLE CUISINE
Dinner at LaCote Brassiere in the Renaissance Arts
Hotel brings a promise of (even more) food as well
as a visit by chef Chuck Subra Jr. - a Louisiana native,
who mixes the French influences from Aux Saint
Loraine with Creole favorites. His wasabi crusted
quail served over baby bok choy and Japanese
eggplant ($23) is a perfect example. Down the block
at Emeril's on the corner of Julia and Tchoupitoulas,
the Food Network's biggest star, Emeril Lagasse,
is hard at work in one of his two New Orleans
restaurants. For a more traditional French-inspired
upscale dining experience, Restaurant August (301
Tchoupitoulas St.) is always a safe bet. Other musttrys
are Brennan's (417 Royal St.), Commander's
Palace (1403 Washington Ave.) and K-Paul's
Louisiana Kitchen (416 Chartres St.). Back on
Canal Street over a seriously tender filet mignon
and fresh lobster tail, Shula's Restaurant President
Dave Shula is explaining the merits of corn-fed
beef as well as the fact that Shula's is the first new
business to open up in downtown since Katrina.
Another New Orleans staple, Jacques-Imo's (8324
Oak St.) is back as well - and getting a table is as
difficult as ever.
HEART OF NEW ORLEANS
It's Sunday 11 a.m. and I'm on the corner of what
used to be Derbigny and Deslande in the 9th Ward.
The road dead-ends at a cream-colored 20-foot
high cement levee, which is being built to protect
the neighborhood from another devastating flood.
To think that the number of homes destroyed in
Louisiana and Mississippi is nearly equal to the total
amount of homes in the D.C. area is sobering. The
houses (that are still standing) have been stripped of
all dry wall and contents, leaving them to stand as
mere shells of their former selves. Driving through
these ghost neighborhoods, I wonder if the city, like
the endless stretch of empty houses passing before me,
can ever be rebuilt?
By 2 p.m. of the same day, any doubts I have
about New Orleans losing its spirit are stripped away
as I wander through the New Orleans Jazz and
Heritage Festival's ten stages of blues, jazz, zydeco,
salsa, gospel, bluegrass and folk music. Resurrecting
the soul of the Big Easy was the theme of this year's
Fest. With each note of music, the soul heals a little
bit more. There is a spirit in New Orleans that refuses
to go quietly, if at all. The resilience is exemplified
by legendary blues musician Fats Domino, who was
scheduled to end this year's festival on its penultimate
Sunday. Unfortunately, Domino fell ill on his way
to the festival. But on his trip to the hospital, he
dutifully stopped by the main stage and thanked
everyone for coming. New Orleans, like its native
son, might be hurting, but it is not down. Both are
on their way to recovery and thoughtful enough to
thank those who still believe in this city's unique
place in the American experience.
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