Is It Really Nawlins?

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From Max My Money: Louisiana’s heartbeat resonates in the vibrant city of New Orleans, a place where jazz melodies and a rich cultural tapestry come together. The state’s deep-rooted heritage, coupled with its unique cuisine, creates an intoxicating blend that engages every sense. Louisiana is an orchestra of flavors and experiences waiting to be savored and cherished.
Though jazz is most often associated with New Orleans, only a few jazz joints remain. Preservation Hall is the standard, but who wants to stand up and listen? For me, the richness of culture lies in the food and the people of the city. The city and state are just so different than the other 49! However, do not expect to find the ghost of Louis Armstrong or Pete Fountain wandering down Bourbon Street!
From NewOrleans.com: Always, forever, the city’s music is its beating heart – especially true during Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and other celebrations. The musical notes of jazz, brass, R&B, soul and many mixes fill the air along with night–blooming jasmine and other fabulous tropical fragrances. Walk down Frenchmen Street, the main artery of the Marigny neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter and take in the vibrant blocks of cafes, music clubs and restaurants including Snug Harbor, d.b.a. and the Spotted Cat. New Orleans has produced its share of musical giants, from greats like Louis Armstrong, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint to contemporary acts like Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia and Hurray for the Riffraff. Preservation Hall on Bourbon Street is always a hit but also visit the Mother-In-Law Lounge on Claiborne Avenue, Rock-N-Bowl in Mid-City, the Maple Leaf Uptown and Vaughn’s in the Bywater. These local dives and music venues will keep you dancing all night. It’s all part of the magic, part of the brilliant je ne sais quoi that is found only in New Orleans.
And: In the 1970s, local music enthusiasts opened the doors in the Touro section of Uptown to our beloved Tipitina's, named after the song "Tipitina" by Professor Longhair, who performed there until his passing in 1980. In its early years, this space housed a juice bar, restaurant, and bar. However, the only reference to that now is the banana in the well-known logo. Sold in 2018 to New Orleans jam band Galactic, Tipitina's is still very much in the heart of the Crescent City's sound. It has seen performances by stage legends like Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, Tim McGraw, Lenny Kravitz, and countless other national names, local favorites, and up-and-coming artists.
Some history: The Vieux Carré was invented sometime in the 1930s by Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone’s cocktail lounge In New Orleans. It was first published in the 1937 book “Famous New Orleans Drinks and how to mix ‘em” by Stanley Clisby Arthur. The Vieux Carré is a beautiful cocktail that is both strong and herbal. It’s similar but much more complex than the famed New Orleans Sazerac. It’s hard to describe this cocktail without trying, but if herbaceous solid drinks are your thing, this is a must-try.
Vieux Carre translates to “The Old Square,” referring to the New Orleans French Quarter. New Orleans is one of my absolute favorite places. Its history is both fantastic and terrifying. Many iron-laced balconies date back to the 1700s and predate the United States. You can drink at the same bars generals planned battles at and experience some of the oldest American histories. Not as museum pieces behind glass just to be seen, but by actually walking the halls, eating at the same tables, ordering at the same bars, and living in the same spaces, many historical events happened.
The Vieux Carré has been the center of the cultural and social life of New Orleans since the city’s inception. Generations of artists, writers, restaurateurs, bartenders, bankers, exotic dancers, Catholic priests, fortune-tellers, tourists, and others have haunted these 78 squares of brick and mortar for three centuries. Vieux Carré Memoir is an oral history project created by The Historic New Orleans Collection to record and archive the voices of those who have influenced life in the French Quarter during our time. With a variety of perspectives, Vieux Carré Memoir gives researchers and museum visitors an understanding of the changing nature of the neighborhood during the second half of the 20th century.
I have always enjoyed my visits here, from a business trip in the 80s, to a Super Bowl with my Niners in 2014. After all, this is where I met Dirty Pat, a Baltimore Ravens fan, and erstwhile University professor, and part time barrister.

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