Published in Thrillist
NEW ORLEANS IS PISS, PRIDE, POVERTY, PROSPERITY, AND PO-BOYS. I mean that with love -- but a love I came by honestly. I was born here. I've lived here for 30 years. This city still crawls with secrets, the neighborhoods, affluent societies, and places I've heard of only as whispers. I haven't been invited, and to some I never will. But I'm inviting you into parts of New Orleans now. Because this city, and its people, are your passport to worlds you haven't yet imagined.
Your oyster shucker might be a big chief in a Mardi Gras Indian tribe, who sews beautiful suits that are rich with historical bearing but financially unappreciated by our city's tourism peddlers. Or you could run into another culture bearer who has played in second-lines since he could walk, even while earning his PhD. Your bartender might be one of the foremost authorities in the field, traveling the world to educate others on proper drinks.