The Ranger Online

Issue date: 5/18/06 Section: J School Travels

Media Credit: Joseph M. de Leon Nick Molina gets a tip from a family of patrons outside of the covered patio at Café Du Monde as he winds down a solo performance in the French Quarter.

NEW ORLEANS - Café Du Monde, the café and bakery in the French Quarter, is world-famous for its café au lait and beignets, a fried cake topped with powdery sugar.

Before Hurricane Katrina, patrons waited in a line that stretched down the sidewalk just to place an order to go.

Customers have been known to place orders across the patio railing via seated patrons just for a taste of the delicate squares of puffed pastry.

These days, Café Du Monde stays about half full. Tourists are returning, but recovery has been slow.

White confectioner's sugar dusts the floor of the covered patio making spots sticky. Coffee cups clink in time with conversation while a lone electric guitar twangs "New York, New York" from the sidewalk.

Nick Molina, 45, a native of New Orleans, sat on a stool on Decatur Street, plucking songs such as "Here Comes the Sun" and the theme to "The Flintstones."

Homero Torralva, a tourist from Houston, tossed a few dollars into Molina's bucket. "Do you know 'The Brady Bunch' theme?" he asked.

"No, I haven't learned that one yet," Molina said as he adjusted the strings of his guitar.

After a short exchange about favorite television shows, they agreed on "The Jetsons" theme song.

Molina plays finger-style guitar, which places the melody over a constant bass string accompaniment, a complex plucking style that allows one guitar to do the work of two.

Bob Ruben, an old trombone player, parked his stool nearby and handed Molina handwritten sheet music.

The team has been playing together for about two years.

The slide of Ruben's tarnished and dented trombone moved back and forth as he warmed up.

Musicians jockey for a spot in front of Café Du Monde. "A team of saxophone players used to manipulate the place," Molina said, keeping other musicians from occupying the lucrative spot. Few street performers have returned to New Orleans. Molina said he has never made more money while playing on the street.

"Right now, I play from about 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon - longer if I'm with someone," Molina said as he counted that morning's earnings, more than $50.

Continued...

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