Guide to Opening Night at Fair Grounds

Image: 
Description: 

Fair Grounds images by Eclipse Sportswire
The 143rd season of racing at the Fair Grounds begins Friday, Nov. 21, with Starlight Racing. Spending the night at the racetrack would provide plenty of entertainment, but why not add a free wine tasting, more music and maybe even a burlesque show?
Itʼs New Orleans ... indulge, enjoy.
Fair Grounds opens its doors at 4 p.m. local time and the first post is at 5 p.m. Food trucks, drink specials, live music, go-go dancers, black lights and neon body paint will create a
party atmosphere for the night of racing.

All of the details are not published, but The Boogie Men, a “horn-powered dance band,” will be performing and Crêpes à la Carte will be one of the food trucks on site. The crêpes are huge and delicious, but if none of the offerings tempts your tummy you can head toward the area between the off-track-betting facility and the casino. The DeSaix Deli/Gentilly Grill offer two menus but share the same kitchen and the food is good. See my earlier review of the Fried Chicken Salad here.
The party tent will have a DJ, dancers and body/face painters on hand to augment your appearance under the black lights, if you so choose.
The crowd tends to skew younger for Starlight Racing than the usual track denizens, and I like the energy. Itʼs a great, festive way to begin a season filled with specials, giveaways and heart-pounding Thoroughbred racing. Some key dates can be found here.

Spirited Sundays begin this week with $4 Absolut Bloody Marys and Martinis. Throwback Thursdays start after Thanksgiving and feature $2 Miller Lites and $2 hot dogs. There are four more Starlight Racing dates scheduled: Dec. 26, Jan. 16, Feb. 27 and March 20.
 Back to more immediate things ...
This Friday, you may want to delay your arrival at the track for a few races and pop into Swirl just around the corner. I offer a link to their website, such as it is, but the real news and event information is conveyed through their newsletter. Sign up if youʼre interested. Swirl will be featuring Spanish wines and some small plates from the fantastic Anne Lloyd (Nolavore) from 6-8 p.m. I may return Saturday to taste 15 rosés to consider for Thanksgiving dinner. The wines being poured then will be 20% off and they will be available from noon-3 p.m. Racing begins on Saturday at 1:25 p.m., so you can sip, swirl and still make the first post! Neither tasting requires a reservation and the wines are free, but you must pay for the food.

After the races, I would recommend you head over to Frenchmen St., specifically the Spotted Cat. The Cottonmouth Kings have a regular Friday gig there playing excellent New Orleans swing jazz. Please be aware, the Spotted Cat accepts only cash. There is an ATM on site, but if you pick your horses right, you should have a fistful of winnings already.

After the set, or perhaps a bit more, youʼll still have time to make the short hop over to Irvin Mayfieldʼs Jazz Playhouse for a burlesque show with live music! The club is inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon St., once the mecca for jazz and burlesque. The show starts around midnight and goes until 2 a.m. The show is risqué rather than raunchy and the Playhouse offers some delicious cocktails.
If you have partaken of all the festivities mentioned so far, youʼll be hungry. Donʼt worry, New Orleans never stops selling alcohol but the city also offers 24 hour dining. Six blocks away is the Clover Grill if you want diner food and a seat. Or try Verti Marte, a New Orleans institution, if you want food to take home or back to a hotel. No seating is available. Locally, people talk mostly about the mac and cheese but the ʻAll That Jazzʼ po-boy might be a good choice, both for flavor and the name.
Iʼll see you at the races, and maybe after as well ...