Has anyone attended Funk Fest before? I think my friend and I are going to go this year.
It’s over by the aquarium. Great lineup.
I went last year and it was great! Intimate festival, maybe 5000 people or so. VIP is worth it because there is separate area equally close to stage and covered. The weather was great and is typically great mid October and the town is much less busy than jazzfest. I’ll be there this year, highly reccommended.
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I’m pretty sure that we are going.
I would totally be up for VIP, but I don’t think my friend wants to spend that extra $$$.
It will be nice to be there w/o the jazzfest crowd.
I went to a couple days last year, still smallish sized, but well organized event at the Spanish Steps. There could have been a few more, and slightly better food vendors, but it was fine. Jacques-imos and a few others were there. Weather was great, sunny low 80’s. It got a little warm at times but nothing like Jazz Fest. Some vip areas did have more shade, but it wasn’t an issue for me.
They have been advertising like crazy, so I’m sure this year the crowd will bigger, but certainly still not huge. I just bought by the day and dropped in to see the people I wanted. The locals daily price is very reasonable this year so i’ll do the same. We have tix to see Pilobolus the evening of 10/17 anyway. I think there may be a few evening gigs at the local clubs this year, there were not many (any?) last year.
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We bought our tickets.
I started following the fest on IG, and they are giving away lots of tickets (I believe 600 to those that can not afford to buy on their own) and giving very large discounts to specific groups. Yes, it seems that they are trying to get more attendees.
I’m looking forward to it.
I’m off to New Orleans this Sunday to install my daughter at Tulane - anything going on, culinarily or culturally, that I shouldn’t miss? Planning to go to Evviva, Mr. Mao, Liuzza’s, maybe Bacchanal if we can tolerate the humidity!
We left in mid June, and are in central New Hampshire until the end of August so nothing I can recommend first hand. I think the Tennessee Williams company is still running The Rose Tattoo at Loyola, that might be good. You missed the Shakespeare festival at Tulane. We caught a pretty good Lear before we left, and have tix for a Jan reprise of their Macbeth that recently closed.
For food Coolinary is in full swing, so probably some good deals to be had. Pretty much everybody is looking for dinner customers. I’ve talked about a lot of our spring restaurant visits a little above in this thread. The Kingsway has 1/2 off bottles on Wednesday, but doesn’t seem like you’ll be around for it.
Always check the livewire listing for music. A lot of people are out on the road. But Mike Dillon, James Singleton, and Johnny V played at the Broadside last night. Sorry I missed it. The Broadside has an indoor venue these days. Personally think outdoors, like Baccanal are too steamy, but I’m a wuss.
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You may have already read the About tab on their website. The organizers are trying to fund a new Louisiana Music and Heritage museum. Talked up before most every show last year, and they had quite a bit on the history of black masking indians in one of their tents.
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If I were there Sunday i’d be at James Singleton’s MALABAR show at Cafe Istanbul (it’s near Evivva). But that’s me. Semi avant garde jazz, search J.S. Malabar to see if it would be your thing.
Also, Joe Krown at the Old Point over in Algiers if you like New Orleans piano. Walking distance from the ferry.
Also tomorrow night (Sat 8/8) there is the Dirty Linen Night art block party in the quarter. Should be fun.
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Bacchanal is a treasure and I miss it dearly, but in the 5 years I lived there I couldn’t imagine going there in the summer. Especially right now.
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Congrats! I’m taking my daughter to Tulane for a campus visit on Friday, so a few years behind you.
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Back home in Brooklyn and it was a wonderful if bittersweet stay in the Crescent City. Tulane is gorgeous and I am so excited for my daughter to call it home for the next four years.
It was impossibly hot and humid and we did not venture out to Bacchanal, though we did traipse all over the city and logged 20,000 steps daily despite the punishing weather. We probably could have hacked Bacchanal but it was late enough after dinners and we had plans each morning.
Restaurant-wise we went to:
Mr. Mao - Sunday brunch. This was a lot of kooky fun, and a LOT of food, which was all very tasty. It was also very cheap considering the quality and portions. Not everything was amazing but all around it was delicious, and the environment is festive and free-spirited. I liked it a lot and would be happy to return for brunch.
Evviva - Sunday dinner. Great again, and I will keep returning here. Just first-rate cooking - this would be a regular for me if it were in my Brooklyn neighborhood.
Acamaya - Monday dinner. Wow this was awesome. Why have I put this off until now? Razor sharp inventive Mexican cuisine with genuine wow moments. The chochoyotes with crab, tomato, corn and chanterelles was omg. Superb cocktail menu as well. This place is more than deserving of its Bib Gourmand.
LUNCH Sandwich Shop - Tuesday lunch. Takeout sandwiches from this newcomer right off the Tulane campus. Right next door to The Boot, IYKYK. These are Tuscan style Italian sandwiches and they bake their own bread and source high-quality ingredients. Super fantastic sandwiches! Get a half portion as the full sandwiches are massive.
Compère Lapin - Tuesday dinner. Another place I have been meaning to try for a while, and now that I have, I don’t need to return. The food was tasty but not at the level of the more exciting places in town like Acamaya, or even Evviva. The curry meatballs were great, the peach and tomato salad was eh with basically less-than-ripe peaches, the fried chicken’s sticky sauce was just a bit too sweet, the bass with okra was delicious. Great space and lovely people.
Can’t wait to get back to NOLA, as usual.
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Thanks for the notes!
We did the prix fixe at Lengua Madre 3 times before they closed, all were very good, but Acamaya is even better. We were late to the party as well, only getting there shortly before we left in June. Sounds like maybe you skipped dessert, but the flan is not silky, has cornmeal mixed in. So not what we were expecting but great and unique taste. But the tres leches killed.
Milton Hudson has written about the Mister Mao brunch here before. Problem is we don’t eat much brunch or lunch, so i’ve never had it. But we do get there for dinner every month and a half or so. Worthwhile. They seem to evolve their dishes as well.
Love Evivva, it’s a go to before shows on Frenchman or elsewhere in the Marigny. There is a new southern italian place opening in the Marigny a couple blocks off the Frenchman corridor, Procida. So we’ll check that out next month too.
Haven’t been to Compare for a couple years. But was sad to see her Bywater American Bistro go.
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We did get the tres leches at Acamaya! It was very good, though my daughter didn’t think it was quite right since it wasn’t thoroughly saturated with milk/cream. I thought it was damn good.
We have never been to Acamaya. I’m not sure why. Putting on list for next year’s jazzfest, as I don’t think my friend and I will have time while there for Funk Fest in October.
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A consistent theme emerges: Acamaya, better late than never!
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Just realized Acamaya is same owner as Lengua Madre. We loved Lengua Madre.
Ana Castro was a cook at Coquette, and then at the short lived Thalia restaurant (which closed in the pandemic) and then head chef at Lengua Madre which opened in the Thalia location. All of these restaurants were owned by Michael Stoltzfus. Logically, with the success of Lengua Madre, she wanted her own restaurant, so she opened Acamaya with her sister who manages the front of house. Recently they took over the old Alma location, down the street on the corner of Dauphine and Louisa and opened Casamiro, which servies breakfast and lunch. Have not been yet, as I rarely go out for breakfast and lunch.
BTW, in case you haven’t heard Coquette closed last month. I think I wrote above somewhere, our last meal there in April was less than stellar. Stoltzfus still has a good roasted chicken restaurant called ‘Here Today’ in the Lengua Madre location. It is dine in, but does mostly takeout I believe. I’ve done the takeout a few times, good option in the ocean of fried chicken that is NO.
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We only ate at Coquette once. It was 2 yrs ago. My husband loved it, but I didn’t enjoy it as much. I don’t remember what I ordered, but as a vegetarian, my options are limited. It didn’t hit the spot that night.
Wife was in New Orleans on business this week. Went to Copper Vine since it was an easy walk. Said food was pretty good. Liked some things and others not so much. Went back the second night because of the picture posted below, which is also the reason for the post as I don’t think that otherwise this restaurant deserves to be in this conversation.
