Paper Whiskey

New Orleans Bar Blog

I’m not crazy about reality

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… but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.” —Groucho Marx.

Speaking of decent meals, or lack thereof, this was the week of wings and gravy fries from the bar in lieu of a real dinner. It made me want to load up at Whole Foods and eat only vegetables for the next month. Just kidding. Nothing has ever made me want to do that.

So what makes a decent meal? The Jennifer Aniston method. Realistically speaking: Chipotle.

Spot: Prytania Bar
Vibe: mellow, local, casual
Specialty: iced Irish coffee
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday, 4-8 p.m., $1 off draft beer, liquor, wine, & champagne
Address: 3445 Prytania St.

Monday Meetings with Two Champions

Gina Rodriguez from Jane the Virgin started Movement Mondays on her Instagram to garner support for working Latino actors. She points out that studios feel more confident in hiring Latino actors for high-profile roles if the numbers back it up. TV shows and movies with Latino actors need to pull in higher ratings and more revenue.

This approach is the same for all minorities and extends beyond the acting community—into all aspects of creative professions. Inspired by Gina, I am starting the series Monday Meetings to highlight Asian movers, shakers, and makers. We should be seeing them and hearing from them more often—not just sporadically.

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Meet Bao Nguyen (left), the first Vietnamese-American mayor of a major American city (Garden Grove, CA). He won by 15 (!!!) votes. “I want to fight to make sure people have a place at the table. That people’s voices and stories are told, because policies should never be based on special interests and lobby groups. Policies should be based on serving the people.”

Meet Hoang Xuan Vinh (right), an army colonel who is the first Vietnamese (ever!) to win a Gold Olympic medal. “On the last shot I don’t think gold or silver. I think only ‘try.'”

Photo of Nguyen (right) by Courtney Lindberg for the Los Angeles Times. Photo of Vinh (left) by Danilo Borges for brasil2016.gov. Emoji illustration by emojistickers.com.

Tête-à-Tête (No. 3)

I tried that Japanese decluttering trend where you hold each thing you own, and throw it out if it doesn’t give you joy. I threw out all my vegetables and the electric bill.

—Mindy from The Mindy Project

Image by The Mindy Project.

Watch / Read / Listen (No. 3)

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Watch:

  1. Short Term Twelve. Brie Larson, who is consistently exceptional in all her roles, is the ultimate mentor to neglected kids in this indie flick.
  2. Watchtower of Turkey. An insanely beautiful video by Leonardo Dalessandri. The transitions are so seamless and dreamy you can see how much thought and work went into editing.

Read:

  1. When Breath Becomes Air. Heartbreaking memoir about Dr. Paul Kalanithi who is diagnosed with lung cancer during his last year of residency. He provides an eloquence and calm to the sadness.
  2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. WWII based on two French sisters, both fighters in different ways. Be warned some parts are painful to read, not because of the writing, but events that take place.

Listen:

  1. Vicktor Taiwo. First discovered his song “Curse” during an episode of “Girls.” Lends a soulful, and silky voice to R&B. Good with wine and a rainy night in.

Copyright 2016 Paper Whiskey