 | BY BOB WARREN | Staff writer |
Sean Payton says . . .: For the first time in as long as a lot of folks can remember, the Saints will open their regular season with Sean Payton prowling the sidelines. Columnist Jeff Duncan recently caught up with Payton, who retired earlier this year and will do some TV work this season. Notable: The former coach is very bullish on the Saints. In other Saints news, star running back Alvin Kamara addressed the media for the first time since training camp began. But he wouldn't discuss his legal problems stemming from an arrest in Las Vegas. Want more Saints coverage? Sign up for our Saints Insider newsletter.
The mayor’s travel: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell says she doesn’t plan to repay around $29,000 to the city for upgrading her flights to business or first class, WVUE TV reported Thursday night. This despite a city policy that requires city employees to purchase the lowest-price airfare possible when travelling on the taxpayers’ dime. You might also recall that a group is trying to get enough signatures on a petition to recall the mayor. Columnist Will Sutton predicts the drive will be unsuccessful and argues a Cantrell recall isn't what the city needs anyway.
Bread of (culinary) life: You won’t find them in a who’s who listing of New Orleans’ great chefs, but there’s no downplaying the Gendusa family’s culinary contributions to the region's signature sandwich, dining writer Ian McNulty writes. For even more food and drink coverage, please sign up for our Where NOLA Eats newsletter.
Busy weekend: The weekend is nearly upon us. Take a breath! There's lots of football, of course. But if that doesn't do it for you, here's some other things you might enjoy. Tattoo anyone?
Thanks for reading Lunch Line today – and remember, you can keep up all day long at NOLA.com. Bob | 
