COZY BEDROOM IN OLD MIDCITY HOUSE -- PART 2

NEW ORLEANS AIR BNB

The Banks Street Bar, which sometimes has food and often has music, also is super close. 

But somehow, amazingly, you don't hear the noise of the popular bar, even though it's open well past midnight. 

I'm a noise phobic person. I slept well at JonGunnar's place. 

The fact that each guest room has a wall-mounted air conditioner right over the bed probably helps, as it provides instant white noise to muffle the random dog bark or siren that one would hear in any urban location. 

There is a small off street parking space and always a free on street spot for your rental car within a block of the house at the corner of South Alexander and Palmyra.

Check in is easy.

He texts you the code to the lock box out front. 

There also are bikes that you can use, but I walked to close stuff and used the rental for other distances. 

Note: you do not need an expensive rental car. 

Transit and Uber will serve you well. I only had a car because I was photographing far flung places that were not served by Uber. 

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5173411

LEVEE BAKING COMPANY

A COTTAGE BAKERY IN NEW ORLEANS

In Christina Balzebre's own words, from her website:

Offering homage to the tradition of bread baking and pastry making (and preserving, pickling, cooking savory things, etc…), we strive to achieve the balance that is the technique of the old world and modern ways.

Naturally leavened bread, completely homemade pastries, and locally foraged ingredients are only the beginning of the process: to be a part of the environment and civilization that surrounds. 

Being in New Orleans, even where a culture of food abounds, a renaissance of wholesome food is still an ongoing process. We’d like to contribute.

Also, we like it when things taste good.

Come see us at the bakehouse every Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. It’s always a lovely Saturday morning where you can sit at communal tables, drink locally roasted Congregation coffee, have a pastry and bring home some fresh bread.

You can find our goods at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Congregation Coffee, Mammoth Espresso and the Stacks Bookstore at the CAC. All of these cafes offer the best quality coffee and we are very proud to be a part of their experience.

http://www.leveebakingco.com/

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/3-course-interview-christina-balzebre-of-levee-baking-company/Content?oid=3534594

http://countryroadsmagazine.com/cuisine/Louisiana-foodways/levee-baking-co-new-orleans/

https://thefeedfeed.com/leveebaker

LEVEE BAKING COMPANY

A COTTAGE BAKERY IN NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans is a food city.

Certainly, a trip to Spain, New York, Italy, even Los Angeles comes with thoughts of getting a prized table at a fabled landmark restaurant or a spot at a new whiz kid chef''s counter in those eating places.

But what city, other than New Orleans, do you build an entire itinerary around food?

Nothing against the amazing jazz and live music, the local artists, the beautiful architecture, the mighty river, the endless diverse neighborhoods, the walkable blocks, the famous cemeteries and so much more -- but food, food is why we go to NOLA.

In a city where people fret over even the provenance of the bread for a Po Boy or the source of the coffee in the morning mug o' mudd, it's not always easy for a newcomer to make the grade.

That's why we're so impressed with Christina Balzebre and her Levee Baking Company. The young master of breads, pastries and more has them lined up out the door at her pop up cottage bakery at 3824 Dryades Street.

People come for breads, cookies, pastries, pies, coffee and more -- served Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The location is just 3 blocks west of the St. Charles streetcar, just south of jumping Freret Street and a bit north of Central City's up and coming culinary enclaves.

We found out about Levee because we've known Christina's family for more than a decade and her proud papa in our hometown of Miami has shared the many rave review news clipping's about his daughter's magical baked goods.

We were first through the door on Saturday April 15 and we're glad we were. We bought her out of mini chocolate pies. They don't need refrigeration, so they were perfect for the plane trip home hours later.

We also indulged in savory tarts and muffins for the plane. If only airplane food were 1/100th as good as Levee Baking Company.

Christina, thanks for chatting with us and serving us delightful coffee to go with the cookie we ate while selecting our sweet and savory baked goods.

We're glad we got there early, because your loyal followers were lined up out the door by the time we headed for the rental car.

http://www.leveebakingco.com/

https://www.facebook.com/leveebakingco/

http://leveebakingcompany.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/leveebaker/

https://twitter.com/leveebakingco?lang=en

NOLA ABSTRACTS

ST. CHARLES STREET CAR

UPTOWN

PHOTOS BY STEVE WRIGHT

DR. JOHN -- IN THE RIGHT PLACE

Mini video clip from front row, center, Tipitina's: 12-27-2016

DR. JOHN LIVE -- TIPITINA'S -- UPTOWN, NEW ORLEANS

How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around)?

DR. JOHN IKO IKO LIVE CLIP

TIPITINA'S, NEW ORLEANS, 12-27-2016

DR. JOHN AND THE NITE TRIPPERS LIVE DEC 27 AT TIPITINA'S

Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. The name was inspired by a well-known song, "Tipitina", by Professor Longhair who also performed there until his death in 1980. Before adopting use of "Tipitina's" as its name, the facility was known as "The 501 Club," in reference to its street address (501 Napoleon Avenue). Tipitina's stands as one of the best-known clubs in New Orleans. The building itself was constructed in 1912, and prior to becoming Tipitina's, it served as a gambling house, gymnasium, and brothel.

In the early years, it had a juice bar, restaurant, and a bar. The only remnant of the juice bar is the banana in Tipitina's logo. In the early 1980s, the studios of radio station WWOZ were located in one of the apartments upstairs from the club. During that time, occasionally, WWOZ would carry a Tipitina's show live by literally lowering a microphone into the club through a hole in the floor.  Tipitina's closed for a time during the 1984 World's Fair, when much of the local music scene was drawn to venues in and around the Fair. The building was then remodeled to remove the upstairs apartments in favor of a higher ceiling in the downstairs music venue and reopened.

In 1998, Tipitinas opened a second location on North Peters Street in the French Quarter,^[4] which for a time was also a regular live music venue as well as open for private events and parties but is currently closed. Apart from running these venues, Tipitina's has established the Tipitina's Foundation, a non-profit organization to support local music and musicians. The main focus of the Tipitina's Foundation is to provide musical instruments and uniforms to New Orleans public high school Marching Bands. The Foundation has been especially active in supporting the musicians victimized by Hurricane Katrina.^[5]

During the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival period, Tipitina's hosts a concert series titled "Fess Jazztival", which is a play on "Jazz Festival" and Professor Longhair's nickname, "Fess".

http://tipitinas.com/

LEYLA MCCALLA OPENED FOR DR. JOHN

I would never be so rude as to boo an opening act off the stage, but as I age, and want to get to bed relatively close to midnight -- even on big show night out night -- openers sometimes feel like an unnecessary delay that will push the headliner's start back so late, that I'll only get a half night's sleep.

Layla McCalla is the opposite of an opening act that is mere parsley on the plate, as you await the main course.

She is captivating, amazing, super talent.

She had us at the first song. So much heart, soul and big music from a little trio.

Living in Miami, we have lots of Haitian friends and are somewhat familiar with the music of Haiti.

But McCalla, Haitian rooted/New York raised added a whole new dimension to Haitian Creole and French singing strained threw New Orleans' incomparable musical gumbo.

She's great with the audience as well. Opening up her heart and sharing just enough details about her life, heritage, the meaning behind the lyrics, the verve behind the music.

She played maybe 45 minutes. It went by like 10.

We half hoped she would join Dr. John or even cook up some unheard of approach to coming out and playing after the headliner was done, the house lights were up and a few dozen loyal fans stuck around to hear her.

We would see her headlining a show in a heartbeat.

She's new artist of the year, in our book, so long as it isn't an insult to call a classically trained, young veteran artist a "newcomer."

--courtesy of her website:

Leyla McCalla is a New York-born Haitian-American living in New Orleans, who sings in French, Haitian Creole and English, and plays cello, tenor banjo and guitar. Deeply influenced by traditional Creole, Cajun and Haitian music, as well as by American jazz and folk, her music is at once earthy, elegant, soulful and witty — it vibrates with three centuries of history, yet also feels strikingly fresh, distinctive and contemporary.

Leyla’s debut album, Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes, was named 2013’s Album of the Year by the London Sunday Times and Songlines magazine, and received additional raves from a number of other publications, including the New York Times, Boston Globe and Offbeat, for its haunting mixture of music and message.

Now, having toured extensively in the U.S., Europe and Israel in support of Vari-Colored Songs, Leyla is focusing on her next album. Titled A Day For The Hunter, A Day For The Prey, the album will be released in the spring of 2016 by Jazz Village/Harmonia Mundi.

 A Day For The Hunter, A Day For The Prey will continue to explore the themes of social justice and pan-African consciousness that marked Vari-Colored Songs, and will once again feature songs sung in English, French and Haitian Creole. The album will also include guest appearances by legendary guitarist Marc Ribot, Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, and New Orleans singer-songwriter/guitarist Sarah Quintana.

http://leylamccalla.com/

DR. JOHN LIVE AND THE NITE TRIPPERS AT TIPITINA'S

THE FABULOUS NITE TRIPPERS BACKING BAND

Amazing horn section -- live at Tipitina's 12-27-2016

DR. JOHN LIVE AT TIPITINA'S

FRONT ROW SEAT, HEART OF NAWLINS, DEC. 27

He played 2 hours straight, without a pause.

ST. CHARLES STREET CAR

GARDEN DISTRICT, UPTOWN, NEW ORLEANS

We like to post photos that are off the beaten path.

We strive to avoid touristy pictures.

But when we were stopped at a traffic light on St. Charles, heading back from a meal on Oak Street, the street car rolled up.

And we stuck the Nikon out the window.

Amazed to see the image wasn't blurry and was pretty well framed by houses and a grand tree...we couldn't help sharing.

Enjoy.