Recently, I’m ashamed to admit, I learned the song “Southern Nights” was written by the late, great, New Orleanian Allan, Toussaint. For years, it never occured to me that anyone other than Glen Campbell wrote it, given his version was a 1977 hit. This new knowledge sent me down a rabbit hole of listening to various live versions of the song by Toussaint. My favorite ended up being his beautifully played take on “Allan Toussaint’s Songbook,” which was released in 2013, two years before the musician’s death while on tour in Madrid, Spain. In it, between the piano refrains and the familiar chorus, he tells stories about growing up in Louisiana, trips to the country, visiting with his Creole relatives and the old houses that he jokes were always old; that they were built old. I quickly added the song to a summer Spotify playlist I was creating in anticipation of the many evenings we’ll spend on the porch this season, grateful that the heat of the day will have given way to a slightly more bearable version of hot.
It’s of course never really cool in New Orleans in the summer. But that doesn’t stop us from enjoying our outdoor spaces. In this issue, we are celebrating time spent outside.
From our pool decor spread in Trendwatch on page 38, to the outdoor entertaining feature, “Up on the Roof,” on page 66, and our annual pools, porches and patios feature on page 76, there is sure to be plenty of inspiration to help you beat the summer heat.
Or, if not beat it, at least enjoy it in style.
Mix yourself a refreshing cocktail, put on your favorite hot weather tunes and get outside. Whether it’s time spent poolside, on the patio, on a rooftop or on the porch, you’re sure to enjoy those Southern nights. Cheers!
editor’s pick
The Joy of Cooking
In 2017, self-taught baker, blogger and cookbook author Joy Wilson, aka Joy the Baker, opened The Bakehouse in Bywater. The circa-1900s, converted double shotgun serves both as Wilson’s home and studio space, which she uses for her own work, plus workshops, private parties and events. In May, The Bakehouse started a petite retail space open during workshops. It offers her cookbooks, locally-made Hex candles and, says Wilson, “other vintage odds and ends for cooking and baking.” This summer she’s working on a book proposal and launching an online cooking and baking series for people who can’t make it to New Orleans. Wilson’s cozy, eclectically decorated space is clearly becoming the hotspot to learn, entertain or be entertained. thebakehousenola.com
