In honor of National Oyster Day on Monday, August 5th, two NOLA gems are showcasing phenomenal oyster offerings during the seafood holiday— Alma Cafe and Osteria Lupo. 
 
ALMA CAFE: Head to the Bywater neighborhood and savor Ostras Magnolia at Alma Cafe. Helmed by Executive Chef/Owner Melissa Araujo, who was recently named a semifinalist for James Beard: Best Chef South 2024, the Ostras Magnolia features Mississippi Oysters served with Alma Cafe’s famed tropical vignette. Whether you’re a longtime oyster lover or a curious foodie, Alma Cafe promises an unforgettable dining experience. 
 
OSTERIA LUPO: In honor of National Oyster Day, Osteria Lupo, the wildly popular Italian restaurant by Chef Brian Burns and Reno De Ranieri, will highlight the Wood-Fired Oysters with Calabrian chili, garlic, and focaccia. The restaurant's commitment to quality and authenticity ensures that each bite is one to delight the palate. 

​A quick round up of gastronomic events happening in the city right now: 

TIKI TAKEOVER AT THE BOWER
After overwhelming success last summer, LGD hotspot The Bower is bringing back its tropical summertime Tiki Takeover. Available all summer long at both the restaurant and adjacent Bower Bar, guests can enjoy a selection of dishes and cocktails certain to transport them straight to the Polynesian islands. 

With a decked-out space filled with tiki decor, along with an array of tiki-inspired cocktails from Beverage Director Mickey Mullins, guests can enjoy sippables ($14-18) served up in specialty tiki glassware. Libations include Lifeguard – gin, pineapple, lemon, orgeat and bitters; Toasted Daquiri with rum, fresh lime and toasted sugar; Bananavardie – rye, banana liqueur, glittered Campari; Pinky Promise – tequila, hibiscus, apricot and lime with an absinthe mist; Mood Ring – vodka, vanilla bean lemonade and butterfly pea flower; and Sipping Next to Vanna White – gold rum, Aperol, vanilla lemonade and lime. Frozen concoctions include Piña Colada with a house blend of rums, pineapple, and coconut, served in a large coconut and Apostle’s Upswing – rum, mint, peach and pineapple. 

Executive Chef Marcus Woodham is spicing it up in the kitchen with options like Spam Musubi - sweet soy glazed spam, sushi rice, furikake, spicy mayo; Huli Huli Pork Ribs with pickled jalapeños, pineapple and cucumbers; and Spicy Salmon Poke with avocado & cilantro rice, beets, pineapple, mango and a lime leaf vinaigrette. 

THE BOWER AND LUXARDO PRESENT: A TALES OF THE COCKTAIL® SPIRITED DINNER 
THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2024

Four-Course Pairing Dinner Featuring Cocktails from San Francisco’s True Laurel 
WHO/WHAT: The Bower, located in the Lower Garden District and culinary darling of Latter Hospitality, has partnered with Girolamo Luxardo, the Italian liqueur factory and one of the oldest European firms producing liqueurs and spirits, for an exclusive four-course dinner pairing during Tales of the Cocktail® 2024. This special event will highlight a thoughtfully curated menu by The Bower’s Executive Chef Marcus Woodham paired with creative Luxardo libations by Mixologist Nicolas Torresof San Francisco’s acclaimed cocktail den, True Laurel. 
Priced at $100 per person (excluding tax & gratuity), visitors will experience a delightful fusion of flavors and the art of mixology. 

WHEN/WHERE: The Bower and Luxardo Spirited Dinner will take place Thursday, July 25th, at 7 PM. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. The Bower is located at 1320 Magazine Street. 
 
TUJAGUE’S UNVEILS NEW $18.56 WEEKEND BRUNCH MENU
Tujague's, the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans, is pleased to launch its new two-course weekend brunch menu, priced at $18.56! The restaurant, which first opened its doors in 1856, is paying homage to its rich history by providing an affordable and delicious weekend brunch experience in The Big Easy.

The menu, under the direction of Executive Chef Gus Martin, offers diners traditional favorites with a modern twist. Patrons can enjoy a choice of starters, which includes the Wedge Salad — iceberg lettuce, buttermilk dressing, applewood smoked bacon, onions, tomatoes, and crumbled bleu cheese; Shrimp Crêpe — two crêpes filled with herb goat cheese and Gulf shrimp in a rich béchamel sauce; and Gumbo du Jour. Entrees include a choice of  Croque Madame — toasted brioche layered with sliced ham and gruyère cheese, topped with a fried egg, and served with mornay sauce; Shrimp and Grits with pan-seared Gulf shrimp, New Orleans-style BBQ sauce, and stone-ground grits; and Eggs Madison with chorizo sausage, onion, potatoes, cheddar cheese hash, topped with fried eggs and chimichurri. Visitors can also enjoy alcoholic beverages such as the Old Fashioned for $5, Red, White, or Rosè wine for $6, and their famous cocktail creation - The Grasshopper for $7. 

Tujague’s $18.56 brunch menu is available every Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 2:30PM. Reservations can be made on OpenTable. Tujague’s is located at 429 Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

ALMA CAFÉ TO HOST SNEAK PEEK PREVIEW DINNERS: FRIDAY, JULY 26th – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th
Alma Cafe Honduran restaurant is delighted to announce that the restaurant will officially launch dinner service this Fall. In preparation for the launch, Chef/Owner Melissa Araujo -- a James Beard: Best Chef South 2024 semifinalist –will host a limited number of exclusive dinner previews each Friday from Friday, July 26th – Friday, September 13th. Reservations are suggested, with the first seating at 5 PM, and the last at 9:45 PM. 

The dinner preview nights will feature a curated selection of dishes that blend traditional flavors with a modern twist. Using ingredients from her own backyard, guests can indulge in dishes such as Aguachile Negro with local gulf shrimp and scallops in an aguachile negro; Tostada de Tuna — yellowfin tuna, avocado pure, caramelized shallots, and jalapeno; Pork belly with pickled vegetables; New England Style Lobster Roll; Duck in salsa verde; Papas Bravas; Hongos en Crema; and BBQ Pork Ribs with fine herbs. Like everything at Alma Cafe, dinner dishes will honor the chef’s beloved grandmother’s cooking, a bevy of robust, hearty dishes inspired by the chef’s childhood.  

The inventive cocktail menu from Head Bartender Mark Preston will also be available. Satisfy your palate with libations like the Smoke Rosemary Negroni Sour (gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, rosemary syrup, lemon juice, splash of orange juice, and egg white); Hello Again (mezcal, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, watermelon, and lime); Paloma No. 2(tequila blanco, grapefruit, lime, honey, salt air); and Pimm's Cup (Pimm’s No. 1, cucumber vodka, lemon, ginger ale, and sparkling wine float). 

Located at 800 Louisa Street, Alma Café has become a beloved spot for authentic Honduran cuisine. The addition of dinner service marks a new chapter, inviting guests to experience the restaurant's welcoming ambiance and exceptional cuisine during the evening hours.
Reservations can be made on OpenTable. Stay up to date on all things Alma Cafe on social at @eatalmanola. /  READ OUR REVIEW OF ALMA CAFE!

Each Thursday throughout the summer, diners can enjoy $15 Pasta Night at BABs featuring a selection of signature house made pastas. While the menu may rotate, diners can expect:

• Spaghetti Pomodoro
• Semolina Gnocchi with sausage and peppers
• Orecchiette with kale pesto & melted tomatoes
• Farfalle with mushroom crema & Calabrian butter 
• Pisarei with pork belly & fried black eye peas 
• Burratta agnolotti with corn crema & soft herbs 

BABs is located at 2900 Chartres. Reservations can be made HERE

​Sometimes it's hard to be a Roman: Julius Caesar @ The Lupin Theater
Review by Paul Oswell

I doubt that unseasonably violent storms or spontaneously combusting men were witnessed on the night that the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival chose to stage this particular play, but you could be forgiven for believing it to be a portentous decision. Just a week before opening night, the Supreme Court declared the possibility of king-like immunity for future Presidents, a development that is strikingly on the nose given the Trumpian themes of the opening act.

We meet Caesar (played by Silas Cooper) in his pomp, on the cusp of regal authority thanks to a rising tide of plebian devotion. Two close associates, Cassius (Erin Cessna) and Brutus (Wendy Miklovic), are beginning to see Caesar as weak due to his seizures and ailments, and they fear that ascension to the crown will spell the end of the Republic. High ranking members of a political organization looking to replace a physically flawed but well-liked figurehead? Seems like Joe Biden should also brush up on his classics.

Wild weather, fiery omens and his wife’s nightmares alert Caesar to possible tragedy, while a lethal conspiracy gains traction among the political class in the dead of night. Even though the morning brings the Ides of March, JC does very much not beware them. At first, he tells the Senate that he will not attend that day, refusing to give a reason, with the Nixonian rhetoric of, “The cause is in my will.” When the president does it, that means it is not illegal. 

His hubris eventually has him change his mind and attend court, and there he is gleefully celebrated with cake and fine wine. I’m just kidding. As we all know, he is instead brutally murdered, stabbed repeatedly by almost everyone he trusted. His one true ally, Mark Antony (James Bartelle), witnesses the bloody aftermath, superficially sanctioning the assassination but as the mob departs, he vows revenge. 

If the first act is a patchwork of personal machinations and skullduggery, the second plays out the consequences on a larger scale. Caesar’s son, Octavius (Zarah Hokule’a Spalding), arrives in Rome and forms a coalition with Antony and Lepidus (Enne Samuel). Armies are raised to fight the exiled Brutus and Cassius. They are ultimately successful, Brutus committing suicide still haunted by Caesar’s ghost. 

Director Salvatore Mannino skillfully creates an evocatively dark, tempestuous world that seems fraught and ominous. Hope Bennett’s impressively coherent costume design is reminiscent of the utilitarian garb of guerilla fighters, with hints of the latest Dune movies. The lighting and video projections (a moveable video wall conjures up changing scenes and moods) work deftly with the sound design, used most pleasingly to recreate booming arena speeches - excellent work by Alexander la Vallant Freer, James Lanius III and Steven Gilliland respectively. 

Cooper’s Caesar flits convincingly between potency and paranoia, while Miklovic and Cessna are powerfully engaging, mixing stirring rhetoric and aggressive ambition. Bartelle’s Mark Antony runs on high emotion throughout, the withering subtext of his ‘honorable men’ speech at Caesar's funeral one of the most memorable scenes. Seller’s Casca is everything a conniving, consigliere-type should be, while Hokule’a Spalding makes sure that Octavius’ arrival is explosively dramatic. 

It’s a large cast, but Monica R Harris, Ryan Hayes, Justice Hues, John Jabaley, Aria Jackson, Mary Langley, Matthew Raetz, Stephen Rose Pendleton, Enne Samuel, Joe Signorelli and Kristin Witt all render beautifully well-drawn characters. The staging is at close quarters, giving it a visceral immediacy. Disorienting torches flash across the audience and death scenes are starkly intimate.

As noted, it’s a spookily topical production, the lions that stalk the capitol almost too relevant an allegory for today’s real-life political landscape. Or perhaps violent swings of power are so historically common that Julius Caesar is simply an evergreen fable. Either way, lend your ears and eyes to this fantastically entertaining production - it's no less effective a filter through which to view today's politics than the nightly news. 

Julius Caesar plays at the Lupin Theatre through July 21st. For show information and tickets, click here. 
​

After closing doors at Saint John on Decatur Street in May, Executive Chef and Owner Eric Cook is excited to announce that his award-winning Haute Creole concept will relocate to the Central Business District at 715 St. Charles Avenue, former location of restaurant Le Chat Noir. Leading the charge in the kitchen under Cook will be Chef de Cuisine Darren Chabert, who has worked alongside Cook for the last two years overseeing culinary operations at Gris-Gris, Gris-Gris to Go Go and Saint John. The restaurant plans to reopen in early fall with an updated lunch and dinner menu featuring many of the restaurant’s previous top-selling dishes, along with an enhanced daily happy hour. With close proximity to downtown, the Superdome, Lafayette Square and so much more, Saint John will soon become the perfect spot to enjoy a business lunch, family dinner or extended happy hour before a Saints Game or event. 
 
“Having the opportunity to move Saint John to St. Charles Avenue is a dream,” Said Cook. “We believe in this concept, and we’re excited to make the restaurant easily accessible to the New Orleans community and incoming visitors with a more central location – we’ve got walk-on access to the streetcar, increased parking, Mardi Gras Parade Route views and so much more. It’s time to show this city what Saint John can really be.” 
 
Saint John plans to reopen the restaurant this fall. More details on opening date and menu coming later this summer. Follow Saint John on Instagram and Facebook for additional updates. 
 
LAGNIAPPE:
Eric Cook’s first cookbook, Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine, will also be available this fall on September 17. With approximately 120 food and cocktail recipes, and vibrant, dynamic culinary photography that captures the chef’s bad boy rock-and-roll style, Cook’s new book, with a foreword by Gordon Ramsay, winds through Southern, Cajun, and Creole genres fulfilling home cooks’ desire for dishes that are accessible and straightforward enough for an everyday meal, yet impressive enough for company or the holiday table.

​Review: Kinds of Kindness

It’s strange to say that a director is ‘returning to form’ after their last movie - in this case, last year’s Poor Things - won prizes (Oscars included) across the globe. What I mean here is that Yourgos Lanthimos is returning to a kind of form that is reminiscent of the mood of his early films, such as Dogtooth. 

What does that even mean, though? Kinds of Kindness is an unsettling, experimental triptych that sees a return to writing with his collaborator Efthimis Filippou. All three stories share a cast, including Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Willem Dafoe, Emma Stone, Hong Chau, and Jesse Plemons. (One fun thing to note: much of the movie is shot in and around New Orleans, with scenes in The Windsor Court Hotel, and around the CBD). 

The basic plots are these: In part one, Plemons is in a subservient relationship to his boss, Defoe, who controls his every waking moment. In the second, Plemons is a cop whose wife (Stone) is rescued from a shipwreck but he’s convinced that she’s not the same person, and in the third, Plemons and Stone play members of a cult, led by Dafoe and Chau, who seek a divine being on Earth.

All of the worlds depicted are familiar yet deranged, with violence, delusion and perversion all simmering under a superficially mundane surface. Lanthimos drops clues and details that overlap or hint at connections - a character referred to as “R.M.F.”, a fascination with dogs, his trademark stylistic weirdness and a brutal dissection of power dynamics. 

The events on screen - some surreally beautiful, some viscerally depraved, some psychologically scarring - allow for a real spectrum of readings. Some have floated that each one represents a particular religion (Islam, Judaism, Christianity), and there are dozens of theories already abounding in film discussion threads. 

The Lanthimos hallmarks are all there, and if you’ve enjoyed his pre-Poor Things work, especially his earlier Greek movies, then you’ll find lots to chew over here. Characters all speak in that clipped, removed way, and instances of socially unusual behaviour are mainly just accepted by everyone at face value. 

Although the photographic flourishes of Poor Things and The Favourite aren’t to be found, it’s nevertheless a provocative and unhinged film in other ways. People lose sense of themselves, whether through self delusion or control by others, and it can feel disorienting to watch, the sense of things only coming together with pieces that you’re not even sure are part of the same puzzle.

The best summary of how the director sees humanity comes by extrapolating the lines of the opening song, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by The Eurythmics: Some people want to use you. Some people want to get used by you. Some of them want to abuse you. And some of them? Some of them...want to be abused. (PO)