Writer documenting life in New Orleans 9th Ward. I'm eating 500 po boys at 500 different restaurants, gas stations, corner stores and cafes in New Orleans

Author: rlreevesjr2@gmail.com Page 1 of 13

Field Report: 2026 Downtown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Downtown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

We ventured up to Bayou St. John earlier this spring to shoot the Mardi Gras Indians for their Downtown Super Sunday rolling street party. This is what we saw:

2026 New Orleans International Vodou Day with Queen Nqwamary Janiqwa Nganga

We get exactly one healthy dose of voodoo every year in New Orleans at 5am on Mardi Gras day when Voodoo Queen Kalindah Laveaux comes out of her Treme bungalow and leads a procession of priestesses through the streets of the 6th Ward.

It’s eerie, macabre and joyful.

This weekend, at events scattered across New Orleans, International Vodou Day will be celebrated in this northernmost outpost of the Caribbean. We are most excited to see Queen Nqwamary Janiqwa Nganga pour libations at the slave marker near the US Mint in the French Quarter.

During the dark days of US slavery, within a one-block radius of this marker, you would find roughly a dozen slave-trading firms operated out of bank-like offices, luxury showrooms, and private pens. Their business? Selling their fellow man into slavery.

Expect Queen Nqwamary Janiqwa Nganga to offer serious wisdom on these matters.

schedule of events

Field Report: 2026 Original Big 7 Social and Pleasure Second Line In New Orleans

2026 Original Big 7 Social and Pleasure Second Line In New Orleans

500 Po Boys: Galley Seafood Soft Shell Crab at New Orleans Jazz Fest

Galley Seafood Soft Shell Crab at New Orleans Jazz Fest

50 years ago Dennis and Vicky Patania began serving soft-shell crab po-boys at Jazz Fest in New Orleans.

They were two kids with a dream

In 1977 a ticket would run you a meager two bucks. Adjusted for inflation that same ticket should cost you about $11 today.

We all know that ain’t happening.

RL Reeves Jr Recipe: Vietnamese Barbecue Sauce with Red Boat Anchovy Salt

Vietnamese Barbecue Sauce with Red Boat Anchovy Salt

The meat should stand on its own.

Out of the thousands of barbecue joints I’ve eaten at over the years, the sauce was of such quality that it bore mentioning only a handful of times: Rountree’s Hickory Pit in Birmingham; Luling City Market in Luling, Texas; Louie Mueller in Taylor, Texas; and the all-time king—Archibald’s in Northport, Alabama.

Field Report: 2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

2026 Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian Party

More to come

RL Reeves Jr Recipe: Migas Done In The Creole Fashion

While New Orleans is indisputably a superior city to Austin there are a few things I miss dearly about the capital of Texas.

Namely migas. I’ve scoured New Orleans for this dish and have yet to find a single restaurant that is serving one of the defining foods of Tex-Mex cuisine.

Meanwhile back in Austin, hundreds of people are on queue at dozens of taquerias scattered about town-all serving a wide variety of migas and migas-like dishes.

RL Reeves Jr Recipe: 15 Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge

New Orleans Daily Picayune advertisement. 1883

During the holiday season I wanted a forgiving fudge recipe that didn’t rely on perfect conditions to succeed. My home is nearly nine feet below sea level where fudge is easier to manage than high-altitude fudge

After some testing, I found that a traditional “easy” substitute—sweetened condensed milk plus a bit of unsweetened chocolate—gives a fudge that’s less sugary but still rich in chocolate flavor.

This recipe makes about 2.5 pounds of fudge.

Field Report: 2026 VIP Ladies and Kids Second Line in New Orleans

2026 VIP Ladies and Kids second line in New Orleans

We ventured way uptown to the Garden District for the 23rd anniversary roll of VIP Ladies and Kids Second Line earlier this month. This is what we saw:

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