Tag: Mardi Gras

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

A Louisiana Fairy Tale

The author reminisces about her Mardi Gras escapades, from taking in the sounds and sights of the French Quarter to attending the Rex Ball in a vintage red dress. (Photo: Rhett Ortego)

Occasionally in life, if we are fortunate, we may forge the kind of friendship in which both parties are completely comfortable with one another. I personally have found such a friendship in Rhett Ortego, a New Orleans native. Our particular, and perhaps peculiar, bond can be summed up in a tableau: Rhett sitting in my bathroom reading aloud a history of Mardi Gras to me while I am in the shower. (This may be a good time to mention that I am a heterosexual cis gender woman and Rhett is a homosexual cis gender man, and therefore, there is no danger of sexual tension in this anecdote. Much to the dismay of Rhett’s grandmother, who pulled him aside during my visit to his family home and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to be anything more to Coco?” But I’m getting ahead of myself.) This is how I ended up on my first-ever trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras with my own personal tour guide.

On Sunday, February 19, 2023, Rhett and I are strolling through the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, and I am falling in love with the brightly painted houses and maze-like streets. It is a lovely day, the sun is shining, and everything is bright. I knew Mardi Gras was a big deal, but I was not quite prepared for the festive atmosphere that permeates the city. Beads hang off balconies and porches; lawns are decorated in purple, green, and gold; and businesses all over the city display repurposed Christmas trees — now Mardi Gras trees — in shop windows. People everywhere are wearing the most outrageous and fantastic clothes. I see a man dressed all in white, wearing giant white angel wings riding a bike down Napoleon Avenue, under a canopy of toilet-paper-rolled trees. A man who looks like he could be a Hell’s Angel sports a gold tiara.

Photo: Coco June

As we drive and walk through the city, Rhett nonchalantly peppers our conversation with statements such as, “That house was owned by a silent movie actress, and now it’s a library,” or “The Heebe family lived there.” He tells me the history of many buildings, often including the date they were built or what their original purpose was. As we enter Jackson Square, I notice that I am the fastest walking person in the crowd. I point it out and Rhett simply says, “The Big Easy.” Everyone is unhurried, including the albino horse wearing a unicorn headband pulling a carriage down the streets of the Vieux Carre. We eat lunch on a balcony (which differs from a gallery, I learn, in that it isn’t supported by columns or poles in any way). This particular balcony slants toward the street at such an angle that it feels as though we could spill over onto the sidewalk at any moment.

Photo: Coco June

What strikes me in many places are not the sights of the city, but the sounds. I take several videos just to capture the aural experience. Being from Memphis, I especially appreciate another city that is permeated with music. I hear violins, homemade drums, and saxophones, and they are all layered between the voices of thousands of people having a good time. On Lundi Gras, the Monday directly before Fat Tuesday, we go to one of the many parades. The walk to the route takes us along St. Charles Avenue, past houses whose architecture dates back to the 1800s. The parade offers up a completely different, more cacophonic, variety of sounds. Multiple marching bands, floats, and horses file through a throng of shouting people, and the distinctive sound of a wad of plastic beads being caught flashes periodically through the din.

On Fat Tuesday itself, Rhett and I get to experience our own grown-up platonic version of prom at the Rex Ball. After the event, I finally slow down to match the pace of the locals, mincing along in my four-inch heels and floor-length vintage red dress. When we get back to Rhett’s parents’ house, we rewatch the ball (apparently an Ortego family tradition) with his dad, a hilarious experience made more palatable by the bottle of whiskey he breaks out for the occasion. A fitting end to our Louisiana fairy tale.

Coco June is a Memphian, mother, and the Flyer’s theater columnist.

Categories
Music Music Blog

“La Danse de Mardi Gras”: Marcella Simien at Bar DKDC

Bar DKDC has a long history of fostering the bonds between Memphis and New Orleans. In years past, they’ve hosted the Wild Magnolias, a wall-to-wall tribute to Dr. John (complete with street parade) and more. This Friday, February 25, they’ll carry on that tradition, but with a slightly different twist. Sure, there will be plenty of Second Line fever, courtesy of the Lucky 7 Brass Band, but when Marcella and Her Lovers take center stage, they’ll bring a lesser-known slice of Louisiana: Mardi Gras, country style.

I caught up with Marcella Simien, daughter of the Grammy-winning zydeco master Terrance Simien, to hear about her unique take on that time of year when you just have to “laissez les bons temps rouler.”

Memphis Flyer: I suppose Mardi Gras songs are burned into your brain, having grown up in Louisiana.

Marcella Simien: Yeah. When you grow up immersed in the culture, it becomes a part of your DNA. And it shows up in a little bit of everything I do. Like in the phrasing of things. I’ll notice little things I do that remind me of all the things I grew up hearing. In our household, dad was close with some of the Neville Brothers, so those voices informed so much of how I sing and phrase things. It’s really an honor to perform this music and carry on these great songs that are a deep part of my heritage. Art Neville was like an older brother to my dad. When dad was coming up, Art really was a mentor of his, and even played on dad’s second album. He played keys with him and gave him advice. Dad’s got some great stories about that time, when he was in his early 20s and kind of a country boy, not knowing the ropes of the business. Art really schooled him in a really kind way.

To be growing up in that environment must have been inspiring.

Yeah, it’s wild to think about being close to it like that. Because you don’t realize until you’re a little older and more educated what a profound effect that music — the Meters and the Neville Brothers — had on the world. It’s huge.

Where was the family home as you were growing up?

My dad’s from Mallet, Louisiana, which is a really small community outside of Opelousas. There’s a church and grocery store, and that’s about it. That’s where my grandparents’ home is and where my dad grew up. The Simien family’s ancestry goes back hundreds of years there.

It’s about two hours west of New Orleans, so it wasn’t like we were in New Orleans a lot, but I would spend time there, growing up. We would go several times a year.

For Mardi Gras?

No, not really! We did Mardi Gras in the country. Like the trail ride stuff, which is way different than the city Mardi Gras. And I was a little kid. It was more appropriate or safer for me to go to Mardi Gras parades in Lafayette. New Orleans was a little wilder! We mostly went to New Orleans during the festival season, for Jazz Fest or the French Quarter Fest in June. Like when dad would play, or people would come to town. I knew a lot about New Orleans, but I didn’t live there. But I still kind of came of age going there. I’d sneak away as a teenager. [laughs].

So your dad stayed in the community where he grew up. And Mardi Gras was celebrated a little differently there. What was that like?

Well, they call it a Mardi Gras Run. In the country, they start drinking really early on Mardi Gras day. People would be on horseback. There would be people in pickups with truck beds full of hay, and people with instruments on the truck beds, playing music. And you’d go down these trails out in the country and just party! You’d be outside and it was beautiful. And then there would be a part in the day, after people were pretty inebriated, where they’d chase the chickens — to catch some and wring their necks. And then they’d go cook a gumbo with the chicken at the end of the day. Everyone’s together, it’s a big tradition. That’s how the Prairie Creoles would do it. And it’s fun! It’s rustic! [laughs]. You dress up and make a day of it.

Then there’d be parades in the city too. So in Lafayette, you would have a Mardi Gras break, where you’d get out of school for Lundi Gras, Mardi Gras, and Ash Wednesday. It’s kind of like they’re living on their own time, down there in Louisiana.

Do you associate some different songs with Mardi Gras, that you wouldn’t necessarily hear in New Orleans?

Yeah. With that zydeco accordion, you hear a little bit of it in New Orleans, but that’s not the primary sound. It’s jazz and horns and pianos. But with the Prairie Country Creole kind of stuff, the French speaking Creoles play accordion, and maybe a fiddle and rub board as the main instrumentation. Maybe a full band with guitars and bass and drums. The French Creole stuff is unique to the area that I come from. Definitely different from the New Orleans Mardi Gras experience, although they nod to each other. They honor each other in different ways. It’s all soul music.

What are some zydeco songs that you’ll likely play on Friday?

I’ll do “Jolie Bassette” and “La Danse de Mardi Gras,” and probably a Meters medley to pay tribute to the New Orleans heritage. I’m definitely bringing some Mardi Gras beads to toss during my show.

And the Lucky 7 Brass Band will be playing as well?

Yeah. And it’s been amazing to watch what a following they’ve developed. Victor’s such a great band leader, and I’m so blown away at how tight they are, and so much fun to watch and so high energy. It’s the ultimate way to kick off a party.

Don’t some members of the group join your band sometimes?

Yeah, they’ll sit in with us. If they have their horns with them and they’re in the mood, I want them up there. I love it when they join in. Victor will sit in with us sometimes when we share a bill. He did that last June, when Karen [Carrier] reopened DKDC for the first time since the pandemic started.

Will David Cousar play guitar with your band this weekend?

Dave Cousar will be with us on March 3 and on April 2. But for the Mardi Gras show, we’ll have Steve Selvidge, Landon Moore, and Art Edmaiston. And usually we have Robinson Bridgeforth on drums, but he’s giving a master class at Georgetown — he’s a great drummer — so we’ll have Ryan Peel with us. He’s actually playing with the Lucky 7 as well, so it’ll be a cool merging of the two bands. It’s going to be a family affair!

Bar DKDC, Mardi Gras Party ft. Marcella & Her Lovers + Lucky 7 Brass Band, Friday, February 25, 9 p.m.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

New Cajun Restaurant Opening Soon Downtown in Former DejaVu Space

The restaurant, called Ben-Yay’s, will serve po’boys and other classic Creole dishes, include a coffee bar, and also offer homemade beignets. Additionally, they’re planning to offer a “scoop and serve” lunch special that will include a half po’boy and a cup of soup, such as gumbo, turtle soup, or jambalaya.

Ben-Yay’s will be operated by Tandem Restaurant Partners, which is run by partners Tony Westmoreland, Stephanie Westmoreland and Cullen Kent. They’re known for their work with restaurants like Interim, Growlers, Zinnies, and Mardi Gras.

Ben-Yay’s will open in mid-March at 51 S. Main.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Chewing Over the Food News of 2015

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

In looking over 2015, one thing stood out: brand expansion. Aldo’s Pizza Pies, with its swell rooftop patio, and City Market (grab and go!) came to Cooper-Young. Fino’s opened a second restaurant in East Memphis (yay sandwiches!), and Mediterranean mainstay Casablanca returned to Midtown. Both Bedrock Eats & Sweets, the paleo eatery, and the all-vegan Pink Diva Cupcakery and Cuisine got places to call their own.

Justin Fox Burks

Bedrock Eats & Sweets

Ermyias Shiberou, owner of Stickem food truck, opened Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen on Madison in Midtown, next to the Bar-B-Q Shop. Stickem’s awesome kabobs are on the menu, and the lentil sandwich is terrific. Reverb Coffee got into the food-truck game, and Relevant Roasters opened its own coffee bar. Tamp & Tap Triad was unveiled in East Memphis.

Justin Fox Burks

Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen

Last year, all the action was in Overton Square. This year, one could argue, it’s South Main. The new location of Rizzo’s, after much delay, opened in March. Don’t worry, the Lobster Pronto Pups are still on the menu. The great and always-packed Maciel’s offers downtowners tacos, tortas, and more. South Main Sushi & Grill took over the Grawemeyer’s space, and there’s Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-b-que a few blocks north. The hipsteriffic 387 Pantry is a small, curated market with locally sourced goods like Dr. Bean’s coffee and Hanna Farm grits and cornmeal.

Justin Fox Burks

Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-b-que

Also new to downtown is the build-your-own tacos and burritos and nachos joint Burrito Blues (mmmm, nachos) and the Cuban and Mexican restaurant Sabrosura (try the Cuban sandwich). Jeff Johnson’s latest venture Agave Maria, with its masterful decor and endless tequila menu, opened on Union. Recommendation: the cheesy mushroom and poblano enchilada. In April, Bass Pro finally opened in the Pyramid. Uncle Buck’s, the underwater-themed restaurant with a bowling alley, offers a little something for everyone. Up top, the Lookout has one of the best views in the city.

Germantown got all the grocery stores. There’s the 1,000,000-square-foot Kroger that opened. (Actually, it’s only 100,000 square feet, but to put it in perspective, the Union Kroger is 36,000 square feet). It has a juice bar and a Corky’s BBQ kiosk. The healthy-food-at-a-discount grocer, Sprouts, after opening Lakeland, introduced its second store in Germantown. Whole Foods opened its second Memphis-area store in Germantown, too. It features a charcuterie cave, a fresh pasta station, made-fresh savory and sweet crepes, and Korean street food from Kei Jei Kitchens. (I think about the steamed bao sliders all the time.) And, in September, there was news, which seems completely unfair depending on your zip code, that the first area Trader Joe’s would open in Germantown sometime in 2016.

Breakfast for dinner? Breakfast for lunch? Breakfast for breakfast? Whenever! Another Broken Egg, a chain, opened in East Memphis. Order one of their scrambled skillets and their beignet biscuits and you’ll feel like you’ve been hit by a bus, but in the best way possible. Also in the breakfast-whenever game is the colorful, pancake-centric Staks. You can even make your own pancakes, if you’re so inclined. They also offer soups, salads, and sandwiches (including the Memphis Hot Brown).

And, and, and … There’s Mac’s Burgers with a menu filled with gourmet mac-and-cheese and burgers. Coffeehouse/gift shop City & State opened on Broad. 3 Angels Diner made way for Maximo’s on Broad. Encore Cafe offers wraps, smoothies, and salads, plus a place for Cozy Corner while it gets its building ready. Crazy Italians is owned by real-live Italians and features a menu of affordable, classic dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara. I Love Juice Bar features juices, smoothies, and essential oil shots. Mardi Gras, in Crosstown, has gotten great word-of-mouth for its Cajun fare. Diners can tour the U.S.A. at Heritage Tavern & Kitchen, which has a menu of regional favorites. Healthy, tastefully done meals are Julles Posh Food‘s focus. Ditto for LYFE Kitchen, where there’s no fryer, and it’s not missed at all.

Finally, two words: Cheesecake Factory.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now Open: Mardi Gras and I Love Juice Bar

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

One problem with dining out in 21st-century America is that we don’t feel connected to our food. A plate of picture-perfect avocado toast with fried egg and cracked pepper lands on the table in front of us. But who grew it? Who cooked it? For all we know, it may have come from outer space.

Happily, the pendulum has begun to swing in the other direction. In Midtown, two new restaurants focus on reconnecting Memphians with (respectively) their neighborhoods and their bodies, and this food writer is happy to recommend them.

The first is Mardi Gras Memphis, just across the street from Crosstown Concourse. This comfy Cajun restaurant is owned and run by Penny Henderson and her large, extended family. Walk through the front door, and you may feel as though you’ve just married in.

“In South Louisiana, we celebrate everything with food,” explains Henderson, with a wry smile. “If you put up a ceiling fan, everybody’s coming over for gumbo.”

Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Henderson moved to Memphis last year for work. (By training, she is an addictions therapist.) In March, she made a pot of gumbo for an office party, a casual move that turned out to be serendipitous. Her coworkers licked their bowls, and by June, she had opened a restaurant.

“Seven weeks ago, we had not cooked for anybody but our families,” Henderson confesses. “We didn’t know anything about anything. We just jumped in.”

Taste Henderson’s Crawfish Corn Chowder ($4.95), and you’ll be glad she did. It boasts a near-perfect balance of sweet and savory, with a full-bodied corn flavor that’s as rich and deep as a Louisiana sunset.

Henderson says she learned to cook for her five kids, cobbling together recipes from friends, family, and fellow churchgoers.

“There’s a huge reward in seeing people get better, live better, feel better,” Henderson reflects. “And that’s the same feeling I get when I cook for people. For me, it’s about sharing. It’s about fellowship.”

The other stand-out menu item is the Étouffée Stuffed Po’boy ($10.49). It starts with the bread — French rolls from Gambino’s Bakery in New Orleans — which has been flash-fried for extra crispiness. Then it’s sliced, scooped, and loaded up with Henderson’s signature étouffée, expertly prepared from a gorgeous, dark-brown roux. The crisp crunch, the hearty stew — this is the kind of food that warms you up inside.

Justin Fox Burks

Scott Tashie had a come-to-Jesus moment and opened a juice bar.

Every hard-core juice fan has a come-to-Jesus moment. For Scott Tashie, it happened on Manhattan Beach, outside of Los Angeles. At the time, Tashie was a professional golfer playing in the Long Beach Open. Then a friend handed him a glass of green juice, and his life changed forever. Describing the experience, his voice drops to a reverential whisper.

“It was so … fresh,” Tashie recalls. “But it also had the flavor to it! I just couldn’t believe it. I knew I had to have this stuff in my life.”

The day he flew home to Memphis, Tashie acquired a Breville juicer, and the rest is history. In 2012, he bought the Cosmic Coconut, a vegetarian café in East Memphis. A couple of weeks ago, he opened I Love Juice Bar, a juice bar in Cooper-Young.

Why juice? For Tashie, it’s more than fresh flavors. It’s a way to eat healthy that also happens to be affordable and quick.

“I had my juice this morning,” Tashie recalls, “and I was thinking. There’s a cup and a half of kale in here. There are two stalks of celery, a whole carrot, and an apple. It’s ready in a few minutes, and you can take it in the car with you. That’s pretty good!”

I should confess: Before last week, I was leery of green juice. Because if God had meant for us to drink vegetables, he would have made them taste like oranges. Right?

Wrong. After some hemming and hawing, I agreed to taste the Ginger Greens Juice ($5.50), and I have to tell you: It’s delicious. Made with ginger, apple, kale, spinach, cucumber, parsley, and lemon, it’s like a big wallop of happiness — sweet and spicy and bright green. Try it, and you just might have your own come-to-Jesus moment.

I Love Juice Bar serves a lineup of grab-and-go food items, including Quinoa Kale Salad ($4.50) and Spring Rolls ($5.95). Enjoy one in their trendy café space, or pick it up at a festival. The “Green Machine” is a lime-green 1979 Volkswagen van that functions as a food truck, bringing Tashie’s gospel of juice to the heathen hordes.

Categories
Memphis Gaydar News

Mardi Gras Comes Early!

Tempeh_Gumbo.JPG

Fat Tuesday won’t come around until March 8th this year, but in true Mardi Gras style, the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) is starting the party early.

On Sunday, February 20th, TEP is hosting its annual Mardi Gras party and Gumbo Tasting Competition at the Hi-Tone (1913 Polar). The event kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Bring your appetite.