TrueSouth episode 5 review: New Orleans, LA
French history is embedded in the New Orleans character. But there’s more to the story.
By: Bossman Slim
The French Quarter. French bread and beignets. Creole spices, Canal Street and Cafe Du Monde. The French mark on the New Orleans character may be the most famous history told of an American city. At least that’s what we’re led to believe.
But look through the layers of that muffuletta, keep a keen eye out on the names of the restaurants, the signs, and the establishments around the city, particularly in the French Quarter. You might notice something. Where’d all the Italians come from?
In episode 5 of TrueSouth, the opener for season 2, John T. Edge takes us along for the ride on the New Orleans trolley car to find the hidden history of the Crescent City. We’re introduced to characters around the city, but they aren’t French like you might think. They’re Italians; proud Sicilians to be exact. In 30 minutes, Edge shows us just how wrong our presumptions about a place can be. And (po’)boy, are we wrong about New Orleans.
The spoon-fed, crafted version of New Orleans history is that it’s a French city. A city built upon French traditions and culture and those who became known as “Creoles.” And to this day, that is what most believe about New Orleans; A former French outpost with a distinct culture, unique food to die for, drinks poured liberally, and a vivacious town with a raucous and colorful history.
But that version of history doesn’t tell the whole story. In fact, it leaves out some of the biggest players who created the New Orleans of today, those Sicilians we mentioned. Their influence can be found all over the city, from the corner stores to the restaurants like Mandina’s, Liuzza’s, Felix’s, and Acme Oyster House. How about New Orleans Jazz? The “King of Swing,” Louis Prima, is Sicilian.
Host John T. Edge enjoys lunch at Mandina’s with Justin Nystrom and Blair Boutte. (Photo: via @johntedge)
In many ways, the Sicilians who came over in the late 1800s and early 1900s built New Orleans. But that history is regularly glossed over. A gruesome episode of lynching in the late 1800s is where the suppression of this history began. Many Italians living in New Orleans kept a lower profile after that, with many moving out of the city. But their businesses remained, with many of them growing into the establishments Edge introduces us to.
I have been to the Crescent City a few times before, buying the French history hook, line, and sinker. But the next time I go back, I’ll be checking out Mandina’s, Liuzza’s, and those corner grocery stores that our friend John T. Edge gives their just due.
If you want to get hungry and book some impulse tickets to New Orleans, this is the episode for you. You can watch the episode now on ESPN+ or set your DVR for the next airing on SEC Network. No announcement on a new episode for next week (but season 4 is in the works!), so we’ll keep going in rewind. Next Monday we’ll dive into season one, starting with episode 4. We’ll be keeping it in Louisiana, heading northwest via I-10 to I-49, headed to Shreveport. See you there next Monday.