Jazz Fest, Mayor Bass, and a Children's Book from Laufey

From Jamie’s Desk:

I cannot tell a lie — I might have aged out of Coachella. I know, so many of you told me that after my Coachella love letter and every time I told someone I was heading to the festival, but I persevered with a glass half full attitude.

Well, less than fourteen days later, I'm eating some of my own words. Going in, I had a slight feeling that this year might be different – but I was still excited. Don’t get me wrong – the music was great (hello, King of Coachella 2026: David Byrne… I mean, Justin Bieber), and the food was great (Shlap Muan Wings won best bite for the second year running). So I had no complaints when it came to music and food – the two most important things to me every year. But I did have a few notes about the overall experience.

The more that I think about it, I think Coachella owes the fans an apology. Most of the people I spoke to loved it, but I felt for them — the crowds were like nothing I'd ever seen before. Rumor has it they sold 20% more tickets than in years past. I have no facts to back that up, but even if it isn't true, it sure felt that way. Coachella should make it right: give everyone who bought this year early access to 2027, or a discount. The experience just wasn’t what it once was.

The lines for food and to use the bathroom were longer. The crowds at the shows were unbearable. I was with people who couldn't even "get in" to see David Guetta — at an outdoor festival (yes I might have been one of those people and yes I even have an artist pass, so go figure). You might ask how that's even possible. I’m honestly not sure.
Now, I’ll still go back to Coachella. But next time it’ll be weekend two: smaller crowds – with more people there for the music and fewer there for the social media clout. Unless of course my daughter lets me tag along again, in which case I'll be back on weekend one next year in a heartbeat.

To add insult to injury, I'll be missing my favorite music festival of them all this year — Jazz Fest in New Orleans. The first one I've missed in five years. Why is it my favorite, you may ask? Three reasons.

First, the lineup. This year they've knocked it out of the park: The Eagles, Lorde, Jon Batiste, Nas, Stevie Nicks, Irma Thomas, The Soul Rebels, Big Freedia — and that's just scratching the surface. There's something for everyone, especially those of us on the north side of 35.

Second, the crowds. Yes, it's crowded — but never so bad you can't see. You're never fighting to catch a glimpse of the stage. It feels like community, something missing at Coachella.

Finally, the food. Unlike Coachella, almost every food vendor at Jazz Fest is a family-run business that has been there for years — cooking with love. That's nothing against the usual festival food options, but they are nothing like Ms. Linda's Yaka Mein or the Crawfish Bread from Panorama.

To those going this weekend: I'm deeply jealous. Eat some great food (at the fest and in the city), check out the restaurants I recommended below, and do my personally designed food crawl as well. For those of you not going, take advantage of one of the best public radio stations in the world, WWOZ, and feel like you are a part of the festival from afar.

Bottom line: I still love music festivals. I will be at Jazz Fest 2027 no matter what! But it might be time to take my own advice from two weeks ago and add some new ones to my list — where do you think I should go?

Discussed in this issue: Gnocchi in New Orleans, the LA mayor’s race, and the children’s book I might actually have to buy.

Have a restaurant rec, cultural gem, can’t-miss event, or a hot sauce that changed your life? Send it my way: [email protected]

🎧 Lunch With Jamie is available as a podcast—perfect for easy, on-the-go listening. Follow along on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon Podcasts, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, share, and comment. We want to hear from you!

One of my favorite things to do in New Orleans is travel by bike. Sometimes your hotel will have them, or you can use their city bike program. If you are there for Jazz Fest, be sure to rent bikes because there is no better way to get to the fest than by bike. Just remember to always lock them up when you leave (although, that doesn't make your seat safe — spoken from experience of having a seat stolen). 

For those who just want to get out and explore, here’s a curated bike food crawl. If you can do this on a Friday, that’s always better because the lines can get long on weekends. My suggestion is to plan and get to Domilise’s right when they open at 11, and go from there.

To make it simple, paid subscribers can use this map, with each stop already queued up.

And now, onto our regularly scheduled restaurant reviews, Jazz Fest edition…

📍New Orleans: Saint Claire
Cuisine: Southern
Crew: James Ponsoldt, Lloyd Sacks, Marc Rose, Eater, The New York Times
Good For: Dinner with Friends, Date Night, Large Groups, Good Drinks
Pro Tip: Ask for a table inside. You can't go wrong anywhere in this place, but inside is truly adorable.
What to Order: Gnocchi with Lump Crab and Lemon Butter, Rabbit Rillette with Figs, Pickles, Sourdough, Duck & Andouille Gumbo, BBQ Shrimp, Fried Berry Pie with Homemade Ice Cream
Notes: Melissa Martin and Cassie Dymond have done it again. I always tell people that when they come to New Orleans, Mosquito Supper Club is the number one spot to go to have a truly authentic Crescent City experience. Well, now their second restaurant is fighting for that top honor. It's a bit off the beaten path (it’s the equivalent of hitting Silver Lake, Williamsburg, or Islington for a meal) on four acres of land in Algiers, surrounded by oak trees. There is a great backyard with tables for drinks before or after dinner and an adorable bar inside for cocktails. I am not a big drinker, but I love my Manhattans — and this one did not disappoint. If dinner isn't enough, they curate a lovely picnic basket of crudités, cheese, charcuterie, breads, crackers, sweets, accoutrements and surprises for people to enjoy on their picturesque property during the day. I can't wait to come back for that.

On Tuesday, there was only one spot in the entire city of Los Angeles where you could’ve gotten Courage Bagels and had a chance to sit across from the mayor. And it was the Lunch With Jamie podcast taping at Rita House. I guess it was more of a Breakfast With Jamie – but rebranding for one specific event would be crazy. Still, the point remains, we had a great event and live podcast taping. 

The morning started at 8 a.m., when Mayor Bass joined the community for the city’s best bagels and some coffee. Members had the opportunity to address their concerns, and even learned about her own ties to the entertainment industry. She was warm and inviting, taking questions and even concerns directly from her constituents. The breakfast was intimate, and provided a front row seat not many get with our elected officials. 

Then, came time for the podcast taping. Mayor Bass and I took a seat in Rita House’s gorgeous foyer, joined by a live studio audience. We discussed a lot: starting with what drew her to run for mayor in the first place, whether or not that reasoning has changed, and what grade she would give herself for her first term. 

We spoke about the successes: homelessness is down, crime is improving, mental health services are in place, and street lights are being replaced. We also had to discuss pain points: the Palisades fire and the lack of rebuilding, as well as the recent study that shows Angeleno’s feel their quality of life has decreased. As someone who has known Mayor Bass for a while, I was determined to make this conversation as candid and productive as possible. I hope you found that to be the case. 

With the Olympics, World Cup and the Super Bowl all coming up, we spoke about the importance of LA’s representation on the world stage. The mayor shared her plans for the infamous graffiti towers, as well as other preparations for all eyes to be on us soon. 

Overall, this was a great conversation that I’m excited for you to listen to.

You can listen to the full conversation on Youtube, or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify and Amazon.

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