For lovers of Toast and Tartine (myself among them), there’s more good eats coming our way! In Mid-April 2024, Cara and Evan Benson will be opening the Hen House, a cafe and bakery just a couple of blocks up from Toast Gretna on Hancock Street.
Cara purchased the space from the Donewar family in 2022 who originally built the cinderblock structure nearly 70 years ago. Initially, it was to be a base of operations for making and shipping her delectable brioche king cakes (she rolled out over 7,000 there this Carnival season!), but she quickly decided to open it up as a cafe. “I didn’t want it to sit empty for the rest of the year.” says Cara.
The Hen House, so as not to compete with Toast, will offer bagels, quiche, sandwiches, soups and salads — much like her Uptown restaurant Tartine. The real game-changer at Hen House will be their gluten-free offerings. Whether it’s a cranberry scone, chicken salad sandwich or breakfast burrito, customers will have the option of going gluten free.
Cara has been busy perfecting gluten-free recipes, even going so far as to divide her kitchen so that gluten-free goodies are made separately from those that are gluten-full. Because I am the lucky food writer that I am, I was able to sample a few, from an amazingly chewy French baguette, and buttery soft brioche, to sweet, little cinnamon rolls I couldn’t stop gobbling though dinner was right around the corner!
Keep your eye out next month for this new spot in Gretna to get your gobble on!
