The Angels Among Us

Angels like the one that moved Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, an up-and-coming blues artist from Clarksdale, Mississippi to give his guitar pic to a teenage guitarist dreaming of one day standing where Kingfish stands, playing his guitar for us on the Blues Tent stage. A teenager, with his guitar slung over his back, spiritually moved when shown this slightest attention from his idol. That didn’t have to happen, but it did. 

Angels like the one that led Irma Thomas, the 83-year-old Soul Queen of New Orleans onto the stage to sing her hit tune Time Is On My Side with the Rolling Stones. This Irma Thomas tune inspired the Stones over 60 years ago and became their first number 1 hit. Irma floated onto the stage on the wings of Angels where she sang a duet with Mick Jagger for the first time, all these years later. That didn’t have to happen, but it did. 

Angels like NOPD Officer Edward Ordogne, Jr. For years, Office Ordogne has stationed himself at the corner of N. Lopez Street and Maurepas Street, just outside the gates of the Fairgrounds. There he greets each arriving Festival goer with a smile as bright and infectious as there ever has been, offering handshakes, hellos, and hugs that say you are welcome here, enjoy, and be blessed. That doesn't have to happen, but it does. 

Hallowed Ground

An entire Choir of Angels stands guard on hallowed grounds at 3400 Esplanade Avenue, in the neighborhood of the New Orleans Fairgrounds, home of Jazz Fest. A property nuzzled between historic Esplanade Ave and Bayou St. John and across the Avenue from St. Louis No 3 Cemetary, the final resting place of friends and loved ones. It's also the final resting place of two of my inspirations, chefs and cultural icons Leah Chase and Paul Prudhomme. In 1905, Mother Francis Xavier Cabrini established the Sacred Heart Orphan Asylum on this site. Mother Cabrini, the first American to be canonized, once lived and ministered on this property making it hallowed ground. In 1959, Cabrini High School was founded here and has provided parochial education for young women ever since. 

This Choir of Angels has been protecting this hallowed ground ever since. It is personified in the Cabrini High Dads’ Club, which for thirty-five years has provided convenient and safe parking for Festival goers right on the school property. Like Officer Ordogne, the Dads offer a welcome filled with love and caring. A group of men with a common purpose of raising funds for the school that cares for their daughters. And in doing so, they have built a community that is more than just a place to park your car.

Come For the Parking, Stay For the Food

Pulling into the gate of the school property, you are greeted by Mr. Ryan Mathews. You don't realize it at first, but as soon as you meet Ryan, you’re hooked. Comfortable in his signature Lazyboy chair, Ryan takes your money before passing you off to a series of Dads’ Club members who will get your car to its parking spot. Honed through years of fitting cars on every available square inch of school grounds, your car will be safe and watched over. It may appear you are jammed in, but every spot can be exited easily, even if you leave early, but why would you? You come for the parking but stay for the food. 

After a day of serious Festing, a short five or six-block walk gets you back to Cabrini. Again, you’re greeted by the Dads. These guys enjoy what they're doing and it doesn't take you long to enjoy it too. One of the first things you notice is the long line, but that's not the line for the restroom, it's the food line! There are enough port-a-johns that those lines are rarely long, and there’s even a nice indoor facility for the ladies The food line does get long but moves very quickly because these guys are prepared to handle the demand. All food and beverages are offered on a donation basis. Pay in cash or by credit card whatever you wish to donate. Be generous, it's a good cause. 

Years ago someone set up a grill to cook burgers for the volunteers. But, the way these guys operate, a few burgers to feed the volunteers grew into another revenue source. It was just a matter of time before the food offering grew so much that their menu board couldn’t list everything they served. Starting in the morning, Bloody Marys and Mimosas greet the early arrivals. In a setup like this, hamburgers and french fries seem enough to squash any Festival goer's hunger pangs, but you don’t know the Cabrini Dads’ Club. Besides freshly prepared hamburgers and fries, there are hot dogs served with or without “house-made” chili. Do you like baked beans with your hamburgers and hot dogs? Guess what, the Dads have them! But my favorite side dish at Cabrini is the Garlic Potatoes! That’s right, perfectly boiled red potatoes drenched in garlic butter and parsley. If you have room, finish your noshing with their World-famous Bread Pudding, a New Orleans staple.

This past weekend, the off-menu items included fried chicken, hot chicken nuggets (I hear they were HOT HOT HOT), and Red Beans and Rice. As if that's not enough, this past Sunday, the Dads were serving up boiled crawfish, boiled right there on the hallowed grounds! You’ll learn to expect the unexpected from the Dads’ Club. 

It’s hard to beat a sausage sandwich. You’ll have your choice of smoked, Italian, or hot sausage. I am on a lifelong quest to find the perfect hot sausage and I have to say, this is some of the best I have ever had. New Orleans is famous for hot sausage and the Dads get theirs from Crescent City Meat Company in Metarie. As the menu board says, don't forget the peppers and onions! Freshly grilled, these are the perfect condiment for your sausage sandwich. I’m already looking forward to next year’s hot sausage sandwich! 

Holy Smoke

All this food and I haven't even hit the main item, the pièce de résistance. Ryan Mathews recommended that I try the pulled pork and the garlic potatoes. You heard about the potatoes, well the pulled pork is heavenly. Melt in your mouth tender and touched with a perfect smoke flavor that shows the care and love put into its preparation.

Under the direction of Pit Masters Bill Lecke and Hale Davidson, the amazing flavor develops over hours and hours of low and slow smoking with a mixture of hickory, pecan, and a very special oak. Remember, a Saint once resided and ministered to the orphans on this very property, which like much of New Orleans is covered with live oak trees that may be hundreds of years old. These oaks may have shaded Mother Cabrini herself. These live oaks will never be harmed, but occasionally, a small branch comes down in a windstorm. When that happens, the fallen branch is gathered, aged, and used in the smoker with a blend of the other woods. It's no mystery how this pulled pork achieves near-heavenly flavor...Holy Smoke.

The heart and soul of the Dads Club are its members. Guys like Ryan Mathews, Hale Davidson, Bill Lecke, and Joey Falcon look to elders like Mr. Kenny Martinez as role models. Ryan quickly told me that Mr. Kenny was his mentor and catechism teacher when he was growing up and has earned his eternal love and respect. Great organizations have great role models and leaders like Mr. Kenny and others. The Dads are no exception. Their respect and dedication to their mission and each other are readily displayed. A life-size cutout of Captain Bill Ceravolo, a retired NOPD Captain whose granddaughter is a Cabrini graduate, is on display in front of the kitchen area. Dads’ Club members appreciate and respect the contributions of those who have laid the groundwork, like Captain, as he is called, who “still comes to work with us and is quite active”, according to Bob Brune. 

Mother Cabrini is known as the Patron Saint of Immigrants for her work to help and support orphans. That's what brought her to 3400 Esplanade Avenue in 1905. It's not as well known that Mother Cabrini is also the official Patron Saint of finding parking spaces according to Fr James Martin SJ, a Jesuit Priest dedicated to helping young people find their way into the Catholic Faith through non-traditional ways and the author of Saint Finder of Keys, published on bustedhalo.com. That's what brought me to 3400 Esplanade Avenue. Forgoing a free parking spot in City Park and walking about a mile on a bum knee 6 years ago, the Patron Saint of finding parking spaces, Mother Cabrini, led us to a parking space where a Choir of Angels awaited us. 

Check out the Cabrini Dads' Club web page for information about parking for next year's Jazz Fest.