Cornering the market . . . Since Kevin Pedeaux, owner of CR Coffee Shops, took over the management of St. Roch Market, he’s been doing things his way. Revamping the market’s image with a more personable, community-oriented vibe, the market re-launched with Slow & Pho by Chef Tung Nguyen (three words – smoked, brisket, pho), Nuncio’s meatballs and muffulettas, and Fried & True by the Fete au Fete folks. But just recently they added Taceaux Loceaux, the fabulous food truck by Alex and Maribeth del Castillo – fried avocados! – and a new oyster bar. The Salted Pearl is the Fete au Fete folks, Karen Carlsen and Micah Martello, shuckin’ and servin’ so much more than juicy Gulf oysters. Think crab meat au gratin, ceviche, lobster mac and more.
2381 St. Claude Ave., strochmarket.com
Just the way you are . . . Celebrity, award-winning chef Nina Compton and her partner in Larry Miller have remade Bywater American Bistro to better fit their beloved nickname. Creating a more casual (yet still sophisticated) vibe, in both an aesthetic and epicurean way, the restaurant has fully evolved into BABs. Along with a more “rustic” atmosphere, guests can enjoy new dishes including creamy burrata with marinated tomatoes and sporessata, paddlefish caviar-topped arancini, and Wagyu beef lasagna with fontina fonduta.
2900 Chartres St., bywateramericanbistro.com
Do you hear ABBA? . . . NOCHI graduate and prevailer extraordinaire Martha Gilreath has bricked & mortared her king cake pop-up into Nolita Bakery. The brilliant bakester who was cheffing at The Chicory House in the Garden District, has taken over the Mahew Bakery space in Bayou St. John and made it her own. In addition to (seasonal) king cakes, bialys, cookies, and baguettes, why not lunch on a smoked tasso and provolone croissant? Take our money!
3201 Orleans Ave., @nolita_nolalove
Seems fishy . . . Chef Aom Srisuk and her husband/partner Frankie Weinberg, proud purveyors of the popular uptown spot Pomelo, have just launched a downtown iteration of their Thai food dining destination. Located around the corner from the NOPSI hotel on Gravier Street, Good Catch, as the new digs are so aptly named, serves Thai seafood dishes a-go-go, from clay pot glass noodles with Gulf shrimp to fried sea bass with a spicy bird chili sauce, and seared scallops in a coconut-creamy green curry.
828 Gravier St., @goodcatchnola
Oi-pa! . . . Vassiliki Ellwood Yiagazis’ pandemic-born pop-up, often found at Pal’s Lounge and Coffee Science, has taken up residence in the Mid-City space that formerly housed butcher/restaurant Piece of Meat (gone but not forgotten). Smoke & Honey’s menu offers Greek and Israeli “comfort food” with herbed rice-stuffed grape leaves (dolmades), lamb and chicken gyros loaded with fresh tomatoes and red onion, and a crispy phyllo mashup of boureka and spanikopita topped with sesame seeds.
3301 Bienville St., @smokesmokehoneyhoney
Drinking point . . . Though the tiny neighborhood across the river already has a couple of bars, now it’s got one more, but this one is just a little bit different. The first of its kind on either side of the river, Rice Vice is solely a sake bar, with over a dozen sakes on tap. Nashville-based Proper Sake Co. founder Byron Stithem teamed up with Bryson Aust (Barracuda, Nighthawk Napoletana partner) to offer this 20-seat, Japanese-themed sake haven to people in Algiers Point . . . and beyond. **Not open yet!
143 Delaronde St., @propersake_ricevice
*Article originally published in the April 2024 issue of Where Y’at Magazine
**Lead image courtesy of St. Roch Market + Slow & Pho
