We’reTexas

I live in SF and probably 80-90% of people are still masking outdoors - I’m talking 25 year olds walking alone on a block. CA technically hasn’t revised its mask mandate yet but I highly doubt so many people are being that nuanced about it. State and local governments here have never engaged in a serious discussion over risk tolerance and reopening, and “zero risk” has more or less been the ethos expressed by public health officials. Life here has basically been unchanged since June 2020. It’s not the mask part I care about, it’s that I worry that a huge chunk of the CA (and especially the Bay Area) population can’t handle reopening. We are at a point where public health guidance (UCSF Medicine Chair is fully vaccinated and advises double masking on airplanes) and public policy are finally sharply diverging. We are unprepared for conversations about, for instance, school reopening (SFUSD incredibly has been closed all year and has no plans to reopen) or office reopenings to save the various Bay Area transit authorities from ruin. Many of my wife’s fully-vaccinated coworkers are balking at the idea of returning to the office in July. I suspect this is the situation in many major cities, and I think we need to normalize the concept of reopening. We have been awful with messaging about vaccination so far, of course, and I’m not optimistic about how authorities will message the total removal of the tier system.

This was a great post and all, but I just wanted to emphasize that W embraced a lie that led to thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead while dragging the country into the exact same mistake of the war he was too cowardly to fight in thirty years earlier and the only regret he has ever expressed was the audacity of Kanye West to call him a racist. Fuck him and his water colors. /rant, apologies for the interruption.

What's the logic though? Just clouds of Covid hovering around everywhere? Being outdoors is the best place anyone can be. They are universal outdoors in the Bay Area and people will be openly hostile to you if they catch you without one. We’ve known there is no science behind it for months now, but the prevailing logic has been that the cost-benefit was worth it. Maybe during the winter surge, but certainly not for some time. Derek Thompson from the Atlantic wrote an article about ending the mask mandate outdoors that basically read my mind. Across urban areas like DC, SF and NYC, people dutifully mask up as they walk alone in the sidewalk and then promptly do away with masks and they eat or drink together (increasingly indoors). This is the exact opposite of what we should be doing - it’s like wearing your seatbelt while you are parked but taking it off when you drive. I really do think people will have a hard time with this development in SF. It’s more of a social norm at this point than anything based on a public health objective.

This is how I see it. I live in San Francisco. At this point homelessness is institutionalized from a zoning/structural standpoint. Debate over the issue aside, SF and LA are now servicing a national problem with municipal resources. Also, I have not lived in Austin in quite a few years - what is the pulse on the vote? I’m surprised the camping ban was repealed in the first place. Even here in SF your average Democrat on the street is appalled at the current situation.

Can I just piss on Rush Limbaugh’s grave?

I had to read it a few times since it was an oral interview, but Weingarten (who is Jewish, and married to a rabbi) is arguing that teachers’ unions are intrinsic to the “ladder of opportunity” of public education and that the position that the unions are too powerful is basically anti-public education. I have no position either way, but that’s actually what she is saying. Also, extremely hot take by a new Newsweek editorialist with poor critical reading skills.

Pontchartrain, Columns, the Chloe on St. Charles. Not really up to speed on BnB’s off Mag, but my in laws stayed at Maison Perrier recently and really liked it.

About 12 hours for me - woke up in the middle of the night with chills and a headache. And I didn’t even get a microchip.

I don’t understand why we are not twisting the knife on this more. Twenty years ago the MAGA crowd - and many on this board who were on HornFans - was about freedom fries, “If you haven’t done anything wrong you shouldn’t be worried”, and blindly trusting the Deep State about WMDs because it involved bombing brown people. The Lee Greenwood bukkake has been going on for two decades but their positions have basically reversed.

That was the week before Mardi Gras 2020, so there likely was some ‘rona in that crowd.

Front room of Clancy’s. Like downstairs at Galatoire’s, it’s a see-and-be-seen spot for the Uptown crowd that makes for great people watching. If we can’t snag a table, we’ll sit at the bar. Had to fly home last week, so did just that. Veal with crabmeat and Béarnaise. Last meal in NO: Corned beef po boy at Liuzza’s by the Track. Last beer in NO: Canebrake at Liuzza’s.

It’s probably our most frequented place in the city. Easy to get a spot at bar and always a reliable fish special and wine list. It’s Monday, so red beans and rice and Kermit Ruffins. Mother-in-Law Lounge.

This is huge: Tip’s and Howlin’ Wolf are opening back up this weekend. Ivan Neville at Tip’s and Rebirth at the Wolf. Hot 8 returning to their usual Sunday gig at the Wolf as well.

Clancy’s is my favorite restaurant in New Orleans, but Gabrielle has done some of my favorite cooking for some time. I’ve meant to post about it, but I highly recommend it for any kind of visitor to town. Over the past decade New Orleans has become a hotspot of talent, and the city has broken the “thousand restaurants, one menu” image with dozens of places like Shaya, Turkey & Wolf, Carrollton Market (RIP), Compere Lapin, kin, Saint Germain, etc. But no one has tried to take on the mantle of New Orleans cooking. This is a problem, because JoAnne Clevenger, Frank Brigsten and Susan Spicer will only be around for so long. Fortunately, three years ago Greg and Mary Sonnier reopened Gabrielle, which closed after it flooded during Katrina. It’s a bit of a Rip van Winkle story of a chef from a different era of New Orleans cooking reawakening. This is a restaurant that always has a gumbo on the menu, because back then a chef was measured by their gumbo. While the Sonniers aren’t young, their enthusiasm in being back in the game brings a vitality to traditional New Orleans cuisine that makes it exciting. It’s traditional New Orleans creole, but done at a high level and with creativity you won’t find at Galatoires or Antoines. And it’s a fantastic story - Gabrielle is their daughter, now all grown up and you’ll find her working the floor. I was too young to experience the first iteration, but this has been a staple for every trip since they reopened. I don’t have any pics because the food isn’t particularly ‘grammable, but in a good way. It precedes the era of tweezers and plating. Below is this crawfish bisque from a few weeks back, which was outstanding.

Verti Marte, All That Jazz.

Besides the old-line restaurants, Irene’s and Sylvain, we don’t go to the FQ to eat. See if you can get into Bacchanal for wine and live music. Bywater American Bistro is celebrating its 3rd birthday today so they are having a party. Cafe Degas and Liuzza’s Bienville are both great Sunday spots as well.

It’s been surpassed by other beer bars, but I’ve been going for almost 15 years and its patio and location can’t be beat. Tracy’s and Parasol’s are also great dives. For quality cocktails and wine, Cavan and Bouligny Tavern are close by as well. And if y’all want to stay in the area, you’ve got the Columns and Chloe as well.

Yes and no. All of the clubs are still closed, but dba has bands busking outside Fri-Sun and the Royal Frenchmen Hotel has music every night. Dat Dog is open (though I like the OG on Mag more). Adolfo’s is also open on the weekends and is using Apple Barrel for dining. I would expect Maison, Cafe Negril and 30/90 to reopen in the next month as they are well-situated to comply with the city’s regs. FYI, Adolfo’s is hands down my favorite creole-Italian place in the city. Highly recommend it when hitting up Frenchmen. Two weeks ago. Flounder stuffed with crawfish and topped with ocean sauce.

One of my favorite spots on Magazine. Can’t beat that patio. Dee’s Xquisite Seafood. The Pic had a big piece on it last week and holy shit did it live up to expectations. Great weather on Frenchmen.

Was just at the Bulldog a block away.

McHardy’s. Willie Mae’s gets the national press, but they are an easy contender for best fried chicken in town. Story here. Tracy’s, crawfish. NOPD had the Channel locked down today. Papa Gros at Zony Mash. Unless you are super into NOLA music or beer, wouldn’t recommend as it’s very out of the way. Maple Leaf is having concerts here. Marjies. Pork knuckle, beef cheek, Thai potato salad. And yes, that is Alon Shaya at the next table.

Wasn’t that last week? Will go tomorrow if not.

Wait, you are college friends with Robert Leblanc?!? I’ve only met him in passing as a guest a few times, but we love his places. What a small town - about a month ago we spotted him at a bar/restaurant owners council at Snake and Jakes on a rain Saturday afternoon. Great to be a fly on that wall. His new hotel, The Chloe, is the hot spot in town. It’s like the Columns, but with a pool (and three blocks from the Columns). We are a few blocks away and it’s our weeknight haunt.

Lines are back at Acme, walked by yesterday. The Zoo is open, so that’s always a great option. City Park is fantastic, and you can walk down to Bayou St John as well (my favorite neighborhood). There is actually a Cafe du Monde in the Park near Ralph’s that has live music on Sundays. @closetojumping I’ve never been to Bourbon House but my wife did a bridal luncheon there and I recall it being pretty busy. If you don’t mind driving, all of the Mid-City spots are very family friendly (Mandina’s, Liuzza’s Bienville for creole-Italian, Liuzza’s by the track for fried seafood and po boy) as well as the Uptown spots like Pascal Manales, Joey K’s and Casamentos. For Monday, I always see lots of families at Cochon Butcher (and they will have red beans). If y’all want crawfish Bevi Seafood is the spot to go. edit: Also, the swingers came back a few months ago and, well, you know what happened.

Miss Linda’s yakamein. She has a pop up at Dragons’ Den for the time being. IMG_1511.MOV IMG_1486.MOV