Oneika Raymond heads to New Orleans, Louisiana, to connect with the people and history of Tremé, one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in the U.S. There, she’ll sit with some of the Tremé culture bearers of music, food and history to build a deeper understanding of the city’s roots.
Oneika sets off from her hotel, W New Orleans French Quarter. It’s a short commute to her first stop of the day in the Tremé: Kermit’s Tremé Mother in Law Lounge, the last standing jazz lounge in the neighborhood. She meets with Kermit Ruffins, the lounge owner and a beloved musician in his community. He delights Oneika with a song and stories of growing up in the neighborhood where the lively sounds of New Orleans-style jazz were born.
Next, Oneika heads to the historic Congo Square, once a gathering place for enslaved and free people of color that remains an epicenter of culture within Tremé today. Denise is a seventh generation Creole storyteller and owner of the New Orleans history storytelling company, Our Sacred Stories. Denise gives Oneika a tour of the gathering place nestled in the heart of Louis Armstrong Park to share the customs and traditions born out of Congo Square.
Ready for a meal, Oneika is off to her final stop, the plant-based soul food restaurant, I-tal Garden. There she meets the owner, Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson for a delicious, home-cooked meal. Chef Rah tells Oneika about his mission to help nourish the bodies within his community by way of his unique, plant-based take on the traditional New Orleans dishes he grew up eating.
Experience the soulful city of New Orleans for yourself. For more about Oneika’s journey — and to get other itinerary ideas — visit Marriott Bonvoy Traveler. To book your stay at W New Orleans, visit the hotel’s website. Book wellness-inspired activities for yourself at Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities. Marriott Bonvoy members earn points on every experience booked through the site.
To read full episode transcripts from About the Journey and see photos of each featured destination, head to About the Journey on Marriott Bonvoy Traveler. Starting this season, you can watch full videos of each episode on the Marriott Bonvoy YouTube channel.
PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Kermit Ruffins: New Orleans style jazz, it’s a real happy music. It’s a real danceable music. And it’s a healing music, too. I mean, if anybody comes to the show…
[Theme music comes in]
Kermit Ruffins: …for those three hours, you are totally somewhere else in life, and in soul, and in mind.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Welcome to About the Journey. I’m your host Oneika Raymond, travel expert and member of Marriott Bonvoy. In this season, we’re exploring how travel changes us for the better, allowing us to nurture ourselves, our relationships with family and loved ones, and even with the world around us.
This week we’re in New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s a city known for its rich history, mouthwatering cuisine, and beloved music. All of which you can find in the Tremé, one of the nation’s first Black neighborhoods.
Kermit Ruffins: Any given day you can walk through the Tremé neighborhood, and it’s like Mardi Gras day.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Tremé it’s the heart of culture.
Denise Augustine: Tremé is the oldest Black neighborhood in America. And so this, we like to say, is the pure culture of this city.
Oneika Raymond (Field): I’m headed to the Tremé from my hotel W New Orleans in the French Quarter. And I’ll step into the past to find out just how this historic Black neighborhood has become the heart of NOLA. By the end of this episode, you’ll not only have a deeper understanding of the city’s history, you’ll also learn where to find the hottest live music and the tastiest soul food. Let’s go.
Oneika Raymond (VO): I’m really excited by Tremé’s rich expression of Black culture and finding a shared connection with some of the people who call this historic neighborhood home. My first stop is Kermit’s Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge. Kermit’s is the last standing jazz lounge in Tremé, the very neighborhood that founded jazz. As I arrive, colorful murals that pay homage to the people and history of the neighborhood beckon me inside.
I’m meeting up with the lounge’s owner, Kermit Ruffins, one of the city’s most famous musicians. Kermit has opened for jazz greats like Miles Davis and Ray Charles. And as I walk in, I’m greeted with this familiar tune…
[Kermit playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” on trumpet]
Oneika Raymond (Field): Oh my gosh, that was fantastic. My name is Oneika.
Kermit Ruffins: Thank you. Pleasure to meet you.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Well, thank you so much for having me here. I cannot wait to find out more about your place and about you. So let’s go chat.
Kermit Ruffins: Thank you. Let’s do it.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Mr. Kermit. Ruffins, I am so honored to be here talking with you.
Kermit Ruffins: Pleasure.
Oneika Raymond (VO): We’re in a dimly lit, cozy bar area. To my side there’s a grand piano. Kermit tells me that this space plus his lounge’s inviting back patio is where he and other performers put on a show.
Oneika Raymond (Field): We’re in a place that you own, that you’ve opened. Tell us about it.
Kermit Ruffins: It’s a beautiful jazz bar. I always wanted to have a bar. My mom used to run a bar, so I was always seeing everybody having a good time in there, playing the jukebox and what have you. Then when I started playing jazz, we started playing in bars a lot. Some jazz bars, some big bars, like the House of Blues, Tipitina’s here in New Orleans. I always wanted a small jazz bar. And I found this place, maybe about 15 years ago, vacant. And the previous owner’s name was Ernie K-Doe. He had hit songs forever, and his main hit song was, “Mother in Law, Mother in Law.” And so when I got the place, I just changed it from K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge to Kermit’s Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Yeah. And it definitely speaks to the history of the place. The fact that it was closed and then you decided to reopen it and continue that legacy. Well, tell me, Mother-in-Law Lounge, what does it look and feel like when it’s packed?
Kermit Ruffins: We’re pretty blessed because every day of the week, at least four days of the week, we have live jazz. Every time we open the doors with a jazz concert, it’s never the same people. It’s always tourists from all over the world.
Oneika Raymond (Field): And that’s a beautiful thing to be able to kind of plant that seed and to watch it grow. And to really have people come to experience jazz from all over the world.
Kermit Ruffins: Without even knowing I’m doing it.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Without even knowing it.
Kermit Ruffins: Just second nature to have fun.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Why did you choose the Tremé?
Kermit Ruffins: Well Tremé kind of chose me. There’s so much live entertainment to the point where any given day you can walk through the Tremé neighborhood, and it looks like Mardi Gras day. On a Tuesday evening at 3 o’clock, there’s so many people, so many bars. I was like, do they work?
Oneika Raymond (Field): [Oneika laughs]
Kermit Ruffins: I just couldn’t believe it. I’m a young kid, I’m 19 years old. I’m walking with my trumpet. And I could not believe what I was seeing throughout the neighborhood every day of the week.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Music is so transformative, right? For so many of us, we associate a song or a melody to these things that happen in our life. These pivotal moments in our lives. How does jazz music in New Orleans contribute to this transformative experience?
Kermit Ruffins: New Orleans style jazz, it’s a real happy music. It’s a real danceable music. And it’s a healing music, too. I mean, if anybody come to the show, and they have problems – for those three hours, you are totally somewhere else in life, and in soul, and in mind. You’re just gone.
Oneika Raymond (Field): That’s beautiful for you to be able to bring that sort of joy and that type of transformation to people by playing your music.
Kermit Ruffins: I’m blessed to be able to give to the neighborhood as much as they give to me. It just so happened that God, if I would have been born somewhere else, I just don’t know. And I always think about that frequently. I’m like, my God, I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the birthplace of jazz, and they put a trumpet in my hand at 14 years old, and I’m 59 years old now.
[Music Cue]
Oneika Raymond (Field): But you’re loving every minute of it.
Kermit Ruffins: Every second of it.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Thank you so much for this conversation.
Kermit Ruffins: It’s a pleasure meeting you, too.
Oneika Raymond (VO): I leave Kermit to get ready for his show and head to Congo Square — another space with a rich musical heritage. This square was once a gathering place and safe haven where both enslaved and free people of color would gather. I’m on my way to meet up with Denise Augustine, a tour guide and storyteller, who was born just four blocks away.
Walking up, I see Denise standing underneath a grand white arch that says “Armstrong”. This, of course, is Tremé’s Louis Armstrong Park. It’s a slice of the neighborhood with rolling, manicured lawns and peaceful duck ponds. Inside the park is our ultimate destination: the storied Congo Square.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Hi Denise, how are you? Thank you so much for having me. I’m super excited because I hear that you are a natural born storyteller.
Denise Augustine: Well, you know, I formed a company called Our Sacred Stories to maintain the authentic stories of the Afro Creoles in the area. And so we tell stories because we have a long prep time and just as long cook time on our food ways. And so, when you sit around a table with another group of women, in these cooking klatches, this is how they maintain their time when they were peeling 17 pounds of shrimp for the holidays. Telling of your family’s history, the telling of your neighborhood history, your culture. So, storytelling is a part of my DNA.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Yes, a very important legacy and so happy to hear that you are continuing the tradition. So tell me, where are we and what is the significance of this place?
Denise Augustine: Well, this is Louis Armstrong Park. It’s in part of the neighborhood called Tremé. Tremé is the oldest black neighborhood in America. And so this, we like to say, is the pure culture of this city.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Well, I’m super excited to get into it, so let’s start the tour.
Denise Augustine: Okay, great.
Oneika Raymond (VO): Denise and I make our way into Congo Square. There are sculptures all around us, but Denise decides to lead me to a huge stone slab. Carved into the surface of the dark rock face is a jubilant scene of lively musicians and a dancing couple.
Oneika Raymond (Field): This is a really impressive sculpture, tell me the story behind it.
Denise Augustine: The first thing you see is the musical instruments that the Africans that were brought here, they recreated them, recreated them from memory. And so, what a banjo is actually a banza, which is an African instrument.
There were many people around the country, many enslaved people who had Sunday off, but none of them had the freedoms that we had on Sunday. It was actually called a free day. We were allowed to have the drum. Nowhere else in America could Africans have the drum because they feared that we would drum up a revolution. And so we were allowed the drum. We did the bamboula dance. We beat the bamboula rhythms out. And we would come on Sunday — it was a time of joy. So we have lots of wonderful memories about maintaining our African culture, because we were allowed to meet and to dance on Sunday in this area.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Why for you as somebody who is a New Orleans native, someone who recognizes and appreciates where you’ve come from, why is it so important for you as a storyteller to continue this legacy of storytelling.
Denise Augustine: There is nothing that you can do to avoid the Africanness of New Orleans. From the time you get off of an airplane and you sit down for that bowl of gumbo. My people are present, right? If you go see a jazz band, my people are present, right? And so everything that you touch on your visit to New Orleans has some part of Africa in it.
Oneika Raymond (Field): It does.
Denise Augustine: We are proud of this. And we left an indelible mark on this culture that still exists today.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Denise’s message reverberates through me as we move through the square. We walk over granite tiles laid out in overlapping circles. Denise tells me these circles represent the dancing pattern that her ancestors would make as they moved to the rhythm of the drum circles hosted here every Sunday afternoon. When I look up from the ground, I find us standing in front of a bright, red metal plaque engraved with white text that reads Congo Square.
Denise Augustine: This sign is a reminder that this is holy ground to the Africans that were brought here. The very first two ships came in 1719, but after 1817, we’re now Americans and you’ve got five to 600 Africans all over the city. So they said, you have to meet here. This is a place of joy for us, right? This is a place of renewal for us, we could set up the market. You met your friends, and we would dance in a circle, and we would sing, and we would comfort each other. And in that, community we would take care of each other.
Oneika Raymond (Field): So this was a place, this was a safe place?
Denise Augustine: A safe place.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Right? A safe haven.
Denise Augustine: Our safe place.
Oneika Raymond (Field): You know, we’ve talked a lot about the past of this square.
Denise Augustine: Yeah.
Oneika Raymond (Field): I would love to kind of bring it into the present. What purpose does this square serve in the context of Tremé and of New Orleans?
Denise Augustine: We still come to honor our ancestors. Every Sunday afternoon there’s drummers to remind us we were able to drum 300 years ago in this space. We hold festivals here, like the Congo Square Festival every year. And so there’s always music and always food. I believe this from the bottom of my heart — that my ancestors are still here serving me and helping me throughout this life. Energy never dies.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Energy never dies.
Denise Augustine: Never dies.
Oneika Raymond (Field): You know, something really strikes me as I have these conversations with you and others in Tremé is that we can’t know where we’re going until we know where we came from. And so, the present, the future, is intrinsically linked with the past.
Denise Augustine: Absolutely.
Oneika Raymond (Field): And it’s so important for us to have that legacy, to continue the legacy, to tell the stories of our history so that we know who we are, we know who we can be.
Denise Augustine: Our ancestors live in these stories.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Mm.
Denise Augustine: And so I remain honored by their presence here. And at no time do I believe that I am here by accident. I know that I stand on the shoulders of these women.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Yes. Well, thank you so much for telling your stories, and for keeping that history, that energy, that industry, those improvisational skills alive.
Denise Augustine: Yes. Thank you so much. It has been my pleasure.
Oneika Raymond (VO): I leave Denise and Congo Square with a deep appreciation for how the past flows into our present. Progress can only be measured by honoring where we come from. As the city continues to evolve, it stays true to its history rooted in African culture. My final stop of the day, just around the corner from Congo Square, is a shining example of this ethos.
In a city known for flavorful Cajun and Creole fare like gumbos flavored with spicy sausage and crawfish boils served family-style, I’m headed to I-tal Garden for a twist on the traditional flavors of New Orleans.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Hey, Chef Ra. How are you?
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Oh, hey, Oneika. How you doing?
Oneika Raymond (Field): I’m good.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: All right. Welcome to I-tal Garden.
Oneika Raymond (VO): Chef Joseph Robinson, or Rah, for short, is the owner of I-tal Garden, a plant based, soul food restaurant he opened in the Tremé to bring the comforting flavors of New Orleans cuisine to his diners, no meat required. Chef Rah comes out from his kitchen to greet me and I feel like I’m entering his home. There’s vibrant local artwork on the walls and potted plants throughout. But, what draws me in the most is an amazing aroma coming from a delicious looking plate of food that Chef Rah’s prepared for me.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Listen, this food smells amazing.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yes, thank you.
Oneika Raymond (Field): But first, tell me a little bit more about I-tal garden.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yes.
Oneika Raymond (Field): I know what I-tal is, because I’m Jamaican, so I’m familiar with the concept, but for people who don’t know, what is it exactly?
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yeah, so I-tal is the root word for ‘vital’ and vital means very important nutrients for your body and nourishment, so forth. So I-tal Garden is how we got the terminology I-tal. So we embraced that and we brought it here down to New Orleans
Oneika Raymond (Field): Amazing. And so you have plant based cuisine.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yes.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Tell me a little bit about what we have on these plates.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Okay, yes, we can get into it. We have the triple mac and cheese. We make it out of cashew cheese. Everything dairy free, meat free. We also have sweet potatoes, the grilled sweet potatoes, crabless cakes that’s made out of like, hearts of palms, chickpeas and stuff. And our very popular item is jackfruit barbecue ribs and Creole greens.
Oneika Raymond (Field): This smells incredible. It’s healthy and hearty.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yes.
Oneika Raymond (Field): So let’s go throw down, let’s go eat this.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yes, let’s do it.
Oneika Raymond (VO): Chef Rah has me taste his take on collard greens. It’s spicy, flavorful and tastes as though it’s been cooked with love. On the plate is a colorful array of braised, leafy vegetables. But, instead of the savory pieces of ham that usually speckles this dish, there are bright, toothsome pieces of seasoned red bell pepper. The traditional collard greens are joined by braised kale and cabbage.
Oneika Raymond (Field): So this is the cabbage?
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yes, it’s cabbage.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Ooh, it has a little, little bit of kick to it.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Yeah.
Oneika Raymond (Field): A little bit of spice.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: A little Creole seasoning.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Okay.
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Mm-hmm.
Oneika Raymond (Field): It’s clear that you were very heavily invested in the idea of food not only being restorative to the body, but also to the soul. Can you share a little bit more about that?
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: So our motto for I-tal Garden is, “Nourishing the Garden Within”. And we each have a garden inside of us, you know? And if we eat to nourish that garden inside of us, then we will thrive from the inside out and bloom. So that’s what comes to mind when you mention that.
Oneika Raymond (Field): Yeah. You have your location right here in the Tremé. I guess, what impact or what influences has New Orleans, the city of New Orleans, had, and the culture here had on your restaurant?
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: Tremé it’s the heart of culture. I’m from New Orleans, although this is plant based, this is all I know, so I’m going to figure out a ways I can recreate it. Such as the crabless cakes you know, “crab-less”, we call it. But the crab cakes are a staple in New Orleans. You know a lot of people know us for crab cakes or gumbo, jambalaya or Po-boys. I’m finding ways to bring that back, but in a healthier spin, you know?
[Music Cue]
Chef Joseph “Rah” Robinson: So that’s all I know is New Orleans, and it comes out of my spirit, everything I create.
Oneika Raymond (VO): I leave I-Tal Garden with a full belly and a nourished soul. You know, being able to connect with New Orleans Black community, particularly in such an historic place like the Tremé really felt amazing to me. It almost felt like I was meeting not just with friends, but with family.
As a center where past and present meet, Tremé is such a nurturing place. At Kermit’s lounge, I tuned into the emotive and healing rhythm of New Orleans jazz. At Congo Square, I felt the lasting energy of the folks who built this town. And at I-Tal Garden, I broke bread with a tastemaker who is fueling a bright future in the Crescent City.
Oneika Raymond (VO): That’s all for this episode of About the Journey. You can watch my full day in New Orleans on Marriott Bonvoy’s Youtube channel. Thank you to our New Orleans guides, Denise Augustine, Joseph “Chef Rah” Robinson, and Kermit Ruffins.
In our next episode, I’m sitting down with my good friend Monet Hambrick. Monet’s a mom of two and travel expert who shares her tips and tricks on her blog and social platforms, The Traveling Child.
Monet Hambrick: Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but that does not mean that it won’t be worthwhile. And I think once as parents we get over this thought that everything has to be perfect we’ll have so much more fun.
Oneika Raymond (VO): You can trust that we’ll be spilling all the family travel tea, so you will not want to miss this episode.
About the Journey is produced by Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, AT WILL MEDIA, MNTRA and me, Oneika Raymond. Our Marriott Producers are Robin Bennefield, Valerie Conners and Rachael Sulik.
Our AT WILL MEDIA producers are Kristy Westgard, Gale Straub, and Tina Turner. Mixing & Sound Design by Greg Deavens II with support from Andrew [Holtz-burger] Holzberger. Original Theme Music by Zach Grappone.
Our MNTRA video producer is Arnaud Zimmerman, Director of Photography Gabriel Knoos-Newton, Post Producer Zach Gelman and Editor Bryce Perry.
For more travel inspiration, visit Marriott Bonvoy Traveler at traveler.marriott.com. I’m your host, Oneika Raymond. See you next time!
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