by Mary-Devon Dupuy

FRENCH QUARTER - Tomorrow, June 30, Johnny White’s Sports Bar is closing its doors after over 20 years of serving as the only neighborhood bar on Bourbon Street, as well as an occasional home for some of its most loyal patrons. Although the owners of the building will reopen the bar after it undergoes renovations, those who frequented the local watering hole are mourning the loss of Johnny White’s as they know it. Most describe the 720 Bourbon Street dive as the bar that never closes, even for Katrina.

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

It’s hard to find a local on Bourbon St., at least one that isn’t on the job. The majority of the time, natives leave the hand grenades, t-shirt shops, and strip clubs for the tourists. But one corner watering hole bar sets itself apart as “the bar that never closes,” and NoDef is sad to report that Johnny White’s Sports Bar is losing that title after 22 years in its current location. On June 30, the bar will shut its doors. There may even be a lock involved.

By Shay Sokol

Today, Kermit Ruffins rose with the sun to cook raccoons. The wild fare will be served at his 3-week-old Treme Speakeasy on Basin St. tonight while he performs one hot set from 6:00-7:30pm. The Speakeasy is quickly becoming a musician’s hangout, and the home of a new Social Aid and Pleasure Club called “The Hands,” a daycare for grownups created by Lois Andrews and her friends.

UPTOWN - New Orleans' Dive of Dives lost its grande dame this week. Florence Brigham, owner of The Club Ms. Mae’s until she sold in 2010, died Sunday at 83. One regular, calling herself Sally Trapezoid, talked of Ms. Mae as a stool queen surrounded by riff-raff and her club as a “shitshow surrounded by a woman who should be serving tea.”

After Bywater residents' pleas sounded off the halls of power Monday, live music is set to return to the courtyard at Bacchanal.

Another New Orleans bar was raided by police and state alcohol control agents last night. This time, it was The Hangar (1511 S. Rendon), a Gert Town bar that is mainly known for shows featuring rock and metal acts. On Saturday night, state agents entered for an inspection and ended up handing out a bevy of summons for underage drinking, fighting in the presence of police, for a total of 15 summons, according to New Orleans police. It wasn't immediately clear if a show was going on at the time of the "inspection." Click through to see all the summons issued.

Here in the Bayou State, you have to be 21 to drink, but you can get into the bar at the same time you can get into a voting booth. Well, City Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson got wind of this, and despite all the concerts and bar games that don't require  she doesn't like it one bit. On Thursday, she's bringing an ordinance before City Council that would make it illegal to go into a watering hole before you're old enough to water. WWL-TV has the story.

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

It’s not a WhoDat Sunday, but if there's a big football game on, New Orleans will be watching! If party plans are still influx, there's always the bar. And, boy, do those bars want to invite you over! Here's a dozen of the better drink specials we dug up for this 2012 edition of the Super Bowl. Drink up, and look forward to this time next year, when there's a home game around this time. 

by Brad Rhines

At Bellocq’s grand opening last night, patrons partied like it was 1899.  Bellocq, which is the newest venture from the crew at Cure, specializes in 19th century cocktails and officially opened late last month on Lee Circle, alongside the newly renovated Hotel Modern. 

FRENCH QUARTER - Quarter rats and downtown y’ats may know that the Hotel Monteleone's famous Carousel Bar quietly reopened for business after an extensive renovation. However, the gentle murmur became a paradegoer’s shout yesterday when the historic venue “officially” reopened. the Monteleone has done an excellent job making the place feel as if it were new, but new in 1950.