Pizza Domenica Approved, Oktoberfest in Exile

UPTOWN?Pizza fans across the city rejoice! Todd A. Price reports that, earlier today, the City Council approved Pizza Domenica's conditional use permit for the property at 4935 Magazine St. in a 7-0 vote. Concerns about parking (and maybe about go cups, but not really) seemed to jeopardize the Besh Group's newest venture, but the skies seem clear as this afternoon. If all goes according to plan, look for Pizza Domenica to open in the spring of 2014. [NOLA.com]

KENNER?For the third year in a row, the Deutsches Haus will begin its annual Oktoberfest celebrations (which run each Friday and Saturday for the rest of October) of all things sausage and heavy beer at Kenner's Rivertown starting Oct. 11. Not too long ago, the festivities were held on Galvez Street in Mid-City, but the Deutsches Haus building was torn down, and Oktoberfest moved its 11-ounce pretzel-eating challenge to Kenner. The change of location has forced Oktoberfest, which normally ran for five weeks, to be cut back to a mere three. [NOLA.com]

BROOKLYN?So, this isn't strictly local, but it does raise an interesting question: would you frequent a restaurant where talking had been banned and everyone just had to eat with their heads bowed like middle schoolers at detention? Nicholas Nauman, head chef at Eat in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood, has banned chatter in his establishment, taking his cue from that time he visited India and saw Buddhist monks eat breakfast without speaking. Cool story, bro. I wonder how long a monastery-themed restaurant would last in New Orleans... [NOLA.com]

MID-CITY?Tickets for the fifth annual Mid-City Porch Crawl next Saturday, Oct. 19, have gone on sale. The crawling/stumbling/zombie shuffling begins at Finn McCool's, and continues through the surrounding neighborhood, porch by porch. [Mid-City Messenger]

STORYVILLE?On this day in 1917, New Orleans' short-lived red light district, Storyville, closed down due to reformers' efforts to eliminate vice from the city. The District's name, however, lives on in t-shirt infamy. [Lawyers, Guns & Money]

Upcoming Pizza Domenica. [Photo: Google Maps/Nikki Mayeux]