Official Pride Guide NOLAPride.org April 26-May 9, 2016 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 21

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1 Official Pride Guide NOLAPride.org April 26-May 9, 2016 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 21

2 under the gaydar...from 20 center of civic events. The area used to be an Aztec marketplace. The park was created in 1592, when Viceroy Luis de Velasco decided to create green space here as a public park. The park is also home to some of the most beautiful fountains and statues in the city. With the poplar trees blooming purple flowers and the artwork, you feel like you are strolling through an outdoor museum. Next I met up with some friends from Tales and we went for cocktail across the street from the hotel at a busy bar/restaurant called La Cerveceria which had some impressive margaritas in every flavor. After drinks, we were off to dinner at an authentic and popular restaurant called Café de Tacuba. Established in 1912, the restaurant is located inside a 17 th century built mansion in historic downtown. Gorgeous works of art and painted tiles adorn the spacious location and the cuisine was plentiful and delectable. The flavors of the dishes just exploded as you savored each bite from the appetizer to the dessert. They even have a cool ghost that haunts the place of an elderly nun. After dinner and exhausted from a day of traveling I called it an early night. Saturday I was up early and at the gym to get invigorated for the day. The hotel workout facility was large and impressive. I went down to breakfast in the hotel which had a dazzling array of both American and Mexican breakfast foods. My favorite part was the fresh fruit bar which had a chef standing behind a beautiful mahogany table covered with all kinds of whole fresh fruit from figs and kiwis to papaya, melons and mangos. You made your choice and he cut the fruit up for you quickly, very cool. trodding the boards by Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com New in New York During a recent visit up north, I caught three of Broadway s newer musical offerings, each of which had its origins on the silver screen. And in that Hollywood spirit, look for my starry assessments ranging from * to ****. I m not much of a fan of rock n roll. I haven t enthused about an Andrew Lloyd Webber show for over 30 years. And I never saw the movie School of Rock. So I wasn t sure what to expect from Lord Lloyd- Webber s new School of Rock The Musical at the Winter Garden Theater. But you know what? I loved it! If you saw the film, the musical, according to my companion, follows it pretty faithfully. Bookwriter Julian (Downton Abbey) Fellowes wisely didn t mess much with Mike White s successful screenplay and if parts of the script are a bit ridiculous, or improbable to say the least, its strong narrative thread, not to mention good humor and overall joyousness, keeps you involved. (If you haven t seen SoR, it follows Dewey Finn, an out-of-work zhlubby rock singer/guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After identifying musical talent in his uptight students, Dewey surreptitiously forms a band of fifth-graders in an attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands.) After a cute start, things slow down as the plot gets set up, but midway through the first act, as Dewey discovers the latent rockers among his charges (You re in the Band), SoR takes off and stays in musicalcomedyville s buoyant stratosphere through the finale as the kids blossom and hardedged parents learn important life lessons. Glenn Slater provides witty, inventive lyrics for Lloyd Webber s tunes and if none of the melodies quite match his celebrated ones from Cats or Evita, they re good enough and seem apt for this tale. Alex Brightman channels the film s Dewey, Jack Black (again, as per my companion), but that doesn t take away from a fantastic performance that resists sugarcoating Dewey s shortcomings while allowing his decency and iconoclasm, as well as his growing affection for the kids, to shine through. And unlike Mr. Black, Brightman does it LIVE, singing in nearly every number, eight times a week. As the school s rigid principal and Dewey s putative love interest, Sierra [continued on 25] After my morning sustenance I was off into the city. I walked to the Mercado de les Flores, a true Mexican arts, crafts and food market. I got lost shopping among the tiny stores that created a maze like atmosphere in this colorful bazaar. I found some great hand blown glass, fun souvenirs and tasty margaritas which made shopping (and negotiating) much easier. With the dollar being so string against the Peso, things were so inexpensive I hated to barter, but it is in my being. Next on my afternoon journey was a trip to the Plaza Garibaldi where there was the Tequila and Mezcal Museum. Now this is my type of learning where they showed the origins of these potent elixirs. And after the tour, you are treated on the rooftop bar to a complimentary shot of tequila and mescal. So I enjoyed my cocktail (and a few others) while overlooking the plaza s daily excitement. Plaza Garibaldi is located in historic downtown Mexico City and known as Mexico City s home of mariachi music. At all hours of the day and night, mariachi bands can be found playing or soliciting gigs from visitors to the Plaza. There were what seemed like hundreds of mariachi players just hanging around performing and socializing, very interesting. I ended my afternoon with a relaxing few hours getting pampered in the hotel spa by an extremely hot and swarthy man named Mohammed. That man knows how to give a massage, talk about relaxed. Nothing like a man with a foreign tongue to get you revitalized. That night I went to dinner at the hotel in their upscale restaurant Los Dones. The food was a Mexican/American fusion pared with lovely wines. After I walked around the park across the street and looked at the makeshift market vendors selling their wares. I tried a Churro which is a Mexican dessert which is like a long skinny fried donut with leche cream sauce injected in the center, absolutely delicious. And very fun to eat, it's sort of like giving a blowjob to a pastry. I ve done worse. On Sunday the Tales of the Cocktail convention started. So after a little time in the gym followed by breakfast, I went to the ballroom and registered and received my welcome cocktail, which was the first of many I would be consuming over the trip. The opening session was a Ted Style panel discussion about some of the best bars in the city and what it takes to open an establishment, make it popular and keep it on top. What I love about this convention is I met people from all over the world. The bar owners were from New York, Greece, London and Chicago. Another interesting seminar was the Anthropology of the Modern Bar. The discussion traced man s early beginnings of social drinking, why we go to bars and what draws us to certain establishments. For those worried, the bar life is nowhere near dead and gone. In between seminars there were happy hour breaks with cocktails, a lunch by Sailor Jerry Rum complete with serving girls on roller skates, and to add each seminar served three to six cocktails depending on the ones you attended. The evening s event started with a rooftop reception hosted by Patron Tequila with sample shots and lots of unique cocktails, then we moved onto our next destination which was the William Grant party at Foro Normandie, an underground music club literally. The place is in the cellar of this building. The party had hidden doorways leading to other bars, all kinds of unique bars and even a monkey man (like Planet of the Apes Monkey man). There were so many themes going on it was very surreal, you had Mexican dance music pumping throughout the place while you sipped libations some of them smoking. It was an over the top event that had something new to see and try around each corner. And because Tales is all about the after parties, my next stop was another popular local dance club called Bang Bang. This was another weird club where the smoking area was in a bubble room like a fish tank in the center of the club so everyone can watch the smokers. After a few more drinks, I was ready to call it a night. Tales is just as exhausting out of town as locally. Monday was more seminars. After the daytime activities the first evening event was the World of Spirits at Taberna Luciferina. The venue is a three story bar and social club that has a membership. The attendees of Tales enjoyed all kinds of different cocktails from moonshine to mojitos and were able to mingle with the local club membership. Once the party ended we joined a Bacardi bar crawl already in progress. We started at Puebla 109 a trendy bar/restaurant that was airy and inviting. We consumed numerous amounts of gin drinks before we moved on, but before we stopped at a park across from the bar that had a large replica of the Statue of David in the center of the park. That is what I love about Mexico City, there are so many surprises around every corner. Tuesday morning I slept in before venturing out for lunch at Gino s a Mexican and Italian restaurant that had an extensive menu of delicacies from both countries. Finding it hard to decide I had a Mexican appetizer and an Italian entrée, both equally scrumptious. Then I walked over to the Museum of Popular Art. Handicrafts and folk art, also known as popular art, play an important role in the history and culture of Mexico and are often representative of the country s various regions and indigenous groups. The Museo de Arte Popular (Museum of Popular Art) is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Mexican popular art. Housed in a splendid Art Deco building, the museum explores the origins and significance of popular art throughout Mexico. The items on display are representative of important Mexican traditions that originated in towns and villages all over the country. These customs have been passed down from generation to generation and in many cases that date back to before the arrival of the Spanish. The exhibits, arranged by theme, showcase a stunning array of Mexican traditions including pottery, ceramics, glasswork, metalwork, woodcarving, mache paper, basketry, weaving, textiles and traditional dress collections. Many of the crafts that are mass produced and available for sale in the markets are modeled after the traditional and delicately handcrafted works of art that are on display in this museum. This was an informative afternoon filled with vibrantly colored art that ranged from religious in nature to whimsical oversized statues. That night, I attended the last of the parties at the Edificio Continental. It was a cross between a Speakeasy theme and a chicken fight. It was absolutely crazy. The party was once again in a basement club and had sawdust spread on the floor, live chickens in cages around the room and bleachers set up to watch the bar competition which was the main event. After the party, I had a nightcap with some friends in the lobby bar before bed. I left the wonderful Mexico City on Wednesday morning with a layover in Houston before returning home. One more thing checked off my bucket list. The remainder of the week I played catch up, but on Friday I attended the one year anniversary party of Uber in NOLA. It was fun how you were invited at 5pm, you texted a code saying you wanted to attend the party and waited to hear back, we got an answer at 6pm. Within minutes an Uber picked us up for free and brought my friend Barrett and me to an unknown location. The venue ended up being Urban South Brewery, which is located in a huge warehouse off of Tchoupitoulas Street. There was music, boiled crawfish, a birthday cake and beer of course. What a fun and unique way to host a party and Uber we love having you in our city. On Saturday, it was all about raising funds for a good cause. Elizabeth Bouvier and I hosted the St. Anna Fundraiser for the Dodwell House. It was at a school on Canal Boulevard. Liz and I have been in some unusual green rooms before but a kindergarten classroom ranks right up there. The event had great food, good music, a powerful auction and two especially wonderful emcees if I say so myself. Lots of money was raised for this great cause. Once again Father Terry, thank you for allowing me to be a part of the festivities. On my way home, I caught the tail end of Glitter and Be Gay, the Armeinius fundraiser at their den. It looks like they had a great crowd and raised some big bucks, kudos to another well done event by this talented krewe. I had to work on Sunday so no playing, but it was quite the two weeks. Until next time, keep your party going. 22 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com April 26-May 9, 2016 Official ficial Southern n Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.com

3 Official Pride Guide NOLAPride.org April 26-May 9, 2016 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 23

4 chop chop Bayou Scampi (shrimp sauteed in wine, garlic & fresh tomatoes with jazzmen Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie Boudin Scotch Eggs - soft cooked egg wrapped with Cajun boudin, served on a nest of braised collard The Bombay Club, 830 Conti St. House made Cracklin's, Boudin Balls & Pickles Party Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude World Famous Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St. by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain marsha@ripandmarsha.com Take Mom Out for Mother's Day What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to give Mom an experience of a lifetime? Our community can be proud of the incredible culinary array available to us, not only in the French Quarter, but the Marigny and Bywater, and out in Metairie, as well. Ambush recommends these great eateries to curb any hunger desires you and Mom may have, and of course, many serve up cocktails! Metairie Restaurant Guide Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., , GumboStop.com, is a quaint eatery serving five different gumbos, New Orleans favorites, house specials, specialty sandwiches, daily specials, appetizers and desserts all prepared by award winning Chef Ron Iafrate. Open Mon-Sat. 11am-9pm, closed Sunday. New Orleans Restaurant Guide The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, The Bombay Club is host to an eclectic menu of British-Cajun fare, quality craft cocktails & unique martinis. Enjoy live music showcasing the most talented jazz musicians in New Orleans. Dining hours 4-10pm Sun.-Thur., 4-11pm Fri.-Sat. Broussard s Restaurant & Courtyard, 819 Rue Conti, , A favorite fixture in New Orleans for nearly 100 years, Broussard s is located in the heart of the French Quarter, featuring classic French and Creole food, old architecture, and tradition. Dining hours 5:30-9pm Tues.-Thurs. & Sun., 5:30-10pm Fri.-Sat., 10:30am-2:30pm Sunday Brunch. Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude Ave., , is NOLA's newest full restaurant and deli serving a variety of Cajun foods including Boudin and Cracklins mixed with a variety of Wisconsin Cheeses, plus fab party trays. Open Lunch & Dinner 11am - 8pm Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri., closed on Wed., Brunch & Lunch 10am - 4pm Sat. & Sun. Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., , Chargrilled Oysters: Plump Louisiana oysters topped with Parmesan butter cheese filling & grilled to Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal St. CloverGrill.COM, is open 7 days, 24 hours. and features breakfast including build your own omelettes. But let s not forget their fab burgers grilled right under a hub cap and then there s all those sandwiches, sides, desserts and shakes. Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., , TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM. The chef has paid attention to detail and ingredient, and focused on a more contemporary menu at an even more affordable price point. Still the best food, but at even more unbelievable value! Serving 7 days 11am-10pm and Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm. Gene's Po-Boys & Daquiris,1040 Elysian Fields Ave., , is famous for its New Orleans style po-boy sandwiches chockful of ingredients. Open 24 hours. Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., , offers home cooking and friendly service, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring plates, poboys, and daily specials. Breakfast Mon.-Sat. 6am- 11am & Sun. 11am-1pm; lunch and dinner 11amclose. Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres St , customers back to the Huey P. Long era with vintage-inspired cocktails & unique Creole and Southern dishes. Join us for dinner, or meet up with friends to relax at our cocktail bar. Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., , features Italian specialties including salads, pizzas, sandwiches and both lunch and dinner entrees. Open Mon.-Thurs. 5-10pm, Fri.- Sun. 11am-10pm. Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St., , voted Restaurant/ Deli of the Year, is open 24 hours 7 days. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night menu, the deli offers free delivery. Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal St., , is a casual classic, offering fresh-shucked oysters and fresh local seafood in a setting that follows the best traditions of dining in the heart of New Orleans French Quarter. Stanley, 547 St. Ann St., , conveniently located on historic Jackson Square, the view from Stanley s provincial yet elegant dining room provides a beautiful backdrop of St. Louis Cathedral and downtown New Orleans. With all day breakfast and brunch, delicious sandwiches, a soda fountain, house-made ice cream desserts, and The Stanley Burger there s something guaranteed to please anyone s tastes in this charming French Quarter locale. Open 7am-7pm daily. Filet Mignon Broussard - jumbo lump crab meat stuffed Portobello mushroom cap, grilled asparagus, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes with mustard cream Broussard's, 819 Rue Conti Stuffed Bell Pepper Special with Mac & Cheese, Potato Salad, Peas & Texas Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave. BBQ Shrimp & Waffles: Toasted garlic, poblano pepper jelly, and hopitoulas Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres Shrimp, Andouille & Stoneground The Country Club, 634 Louisa St. Breaux Bridge Benedict ~ house made boudin, ham, American cheese, poached eggs & hollandaise on French bread with fried Stanley, 547 St. Ann St. New Orleans Restaurant/Deli of the Year Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. Special Combo Pizza (pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, onions, mushrooms, green peppers & black olives with jalapenos & anchovies Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St. 24 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com April 26-May 9, 2016 Official ficial Southern n Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.com

5 trodding the boards...from 22 Boggess is delightful especially as her hard exterior starts to melt. But it s the 13 kids who are the heart of the show and they re all great. Stand-outs include Isabella Russo as an overachiever who becomes the band s manager, bossy but understandably so; Bobbi MacKenzie whose terrible shyness evaporates when she sings; Luca Padovan, adorable as a budding stylist and likely homosexual; and the four who actually make up the band (Evie Dolan, Diego Lucano, Dante Melucci & Brandon Niederauer) and play live terrifically throughout the show. It s also nice to see such a multi-ethnic cast in roles where race doesn t necessar- ily matter. If JoAnn M. Hunter s choreography seems appropriated from Matilda (do kids only stomp when they dance?), Laurence Connor s direction is finely calibrated to allow the show s momentum to build for maximum emotional impact and School of Rock to be one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable shows I ve seen in ages. (****) With its classic story and gorgeous Gershwin songs, it s hard not to like the stage version of An American in Paris at the Palace Theatre. But with memories of Gene Kelly and the Oscar-winning movie hard to forget, it s difficult to love, too. Craig Lucas book, Inspired by the Motion Picture (curiously, Alan Jay Lerner, [continued on 26] Official Pride Guide NOLAPride.org April 26-May 9, 2016 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 25