A Leashed New Orleans

 New Orleans has always been a city perfect for hedonists. There was always an abundance of food and drink. Revelers went wild during the city's peak time _Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Thanks to the pandemic that's all changed. The city is subdued.

 Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this change in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Last year's Mardi Gras 2020 was the last gasp of normalcy and fun . it was also an accelerant of the virus' spread, in the early days of the pandemic. Now that's all changed. The parties are cancelled as are the famed parades.Luckily there are still places to go to. The bar scene has been brought to their knees, which not even Hurricane Katrina could do.  Activity has been moved primarily outdoors, especially for bars that also serve food. It doesn't work for those whose only serve cocktails, beer and wine. Bars with food permits can serve indoors but only at a twenty-five per cent capacity.The town is known for tourists and locals walking around with a large cocktail or bag of beignets  Mayor LaToya Cantrel will allow everyone to stroll the streets but they have to follow pandemic rules, namely social distancing and mask wearing. There is also the eleven PM closing time, jarring for a city that parties well into the early morning. 

The city will endure as it has for the last 340 years. Bars such as d.b.a. ,a music club in the Faubourg Marigny section of the city, is allowing its' musicians to play to audiences on the street. Tom Thayer, the owner says its' future depends on the rate of infection.  Yet they still plot and plan. Some are luckier than others. Cure, founded by Neal Bodenheimer   is successful. His is a bar that straddles the line between  eatery and restaurant and it and his other ventures,a taqueria and another bar, Val, have ample outdoor space for customers. He even has the luxury of hiring more employees, and makes sure that they get a twenty per cent from all patrons.  Yet, they too are vulnerable and most bar owners worry about their own health.Chris Hannah, owner of the famed Jewel of The South and one of the most respected  cocktail makers in the city, became increasingly worry about his well being. Gone was his nightly glass of spirits when reading. It was replaced by echinacea tea. He also started to eat raw garlic to boost his immunity and became obsessive about yoga.

New Orleans is a city that lets the good times roll. The good times may slow down but they  will never die.That's what makes the city what it is, full of good food and tasty drinks.

The Savory Allure of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is known for many things, Steel, bridges, Universities. Food isn't one of them. Yet in the few years this famed city may well become the Lyons of America. It is the hottest and most popular destination for foodies right now,surpassing even Manhattan for good restaurants.

Jeff Gordonier wrote about it in today's New York Times Food section. He visited the city known for Carnegie Steel and Carnegie Mellon University.The vibe of the city is changing. There are still marginalized areas however the town on the whole is on the upswing. Companies like Google, Uber and Facebook have relocated there, trying to scoop up  the latest tech grads from the city's major universities such as Carnegie Mellon Duquesne and a slew of several others. Another reason is that
 real estate is very cheap.Old storefronts  are now being turned into trendy eateries thanks to  chefs who can afford to  buy the property.It also helps to have good press. Zagat named Pittsburgh the number one food city in the country while Vogue proclaimed it a happening place to visit, even stating that New Yorkers are toying with the idea of moving there.. For chefs, though, there was
still  the problem of crime. Justin Severino who started Cure in the Lawrenceville section had to deal with prostitutes drug dealers and thieves. He stuck in there, though now  offering a trendy menu that has a tasting menu and salumi dishes.

Other chefs are following his lead, despite the fact that some  fo the older townspeople find the new dishes not to their liking or too foreign. Still ,many are adaptable enjoying  dishes  as wild boar and rabbit at eateries such as  Piccolo Forno, thanks to the culinary deftness of chef Dominic Branduzzi.Then there is a new concept, created by two young entrepreneurs, Ben Marica and Tyler Benson. These former Navy men have brought a kind of tech incubator to Pittsburgh's food scene. Their Smallman Galley consists of four kiosks in which different chefs showcase their their cooking for eighteen months. The neat part is the chefs pay absolutely no rent, The goal is to acquire a following and then go from there with it .. The creators see this as a way of catering to the young techies from Google and Uber who are also living in the area.It is a great symbiotic relationship guaranteed to boost Pittsburgh's standing and economy. However there are some chefs who have seen this happen before, namely in Brooklyn and San Francisco. The more popular a neighborhood gets, the more expensive it will be Rents rise , people move out , businesses either struggle or close.Others say give it five years and then see if Puttsburgh is still thriving according to Chef Severino of Cure.

Right now Pittsburgh is experiencing an explosion of good chefs and good restaurants, It's shedding its' old grey steel town image for a newer, more vibrant one,Will it be the Lyons of the New World? Quite possibly yes!