Virtually delicious . . . Still pining for the delicate croissants created by Jeff Becnel at the now-defunct La Petite Sophie Patisserie? Though he isn’t reopening anytime soon, now you can enjoy his work digitally. While it isn’t quite as fabulous as sinking your teeth into a slice of a flaky galette des rois during Carnival, reading Becnel’s cooking blog Apron Indigo is its own reward. So far, he’s shared his own recipes for turkey bolognese, syrniki (Eastern European pancakes made with farmers cheese), strawberry pie and more. Just keep following and perhaps he’ll finally reveal the magic behind his buttery, caramelized kouign-aman.
apronindigo.com, @apronindigo
Burn one for me . . . Because they’re everywhere you go, Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts has launched yet another restaurant, this time in the Warehouse District. Attached to Boulevard American Bistro (another CCRC spot), Patty’s Burger Bar is a simple diner concept focusing solely on … can you guess it? … burgers! Truthfully, there are variations on their smash-style burger served on Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls (a Chambersburg, Pennsylvania-born bakery) like a patty melt loaded with caramelized onions, a lamb burger slathered in curry aioli, and the NOLA Hot Double with both beef and Patton’s Hot Sausage patties. There’s also three kinds of sides – curly fries, crinkle cut sweet potato fries and onion rings – but mostly we’re eyeing a boozy whiskey peanut butter shake for dessert.
805 Magazine St., pattysburgerbar.com
Land of milk (bread) and katsu sauce . . . Alabama-born, self-trained cook Zac Hill has taken what he’s learned from voraciously studying cookbooks and working at Union Ramen and turned it into Gaijin Sandos, a Bywater pop-up now turned brick and mortar. Located in the space that formerly housed restaurants like Rosalita’s Tacos and the short-lived boudin shop Frissons, Gaijin is all about Japanese sandos, with a Southern slant, of course. His menu features sandos like a bourbon-buttermilk fried chicken with pimento cheese, miso-roasted cabbage with pickled red onions and Swiss, and yuzu-chantilly cream with fresh seasonal fruit all served on Hill’s house made milk bread. Japanese milk bread or shokupan, is basically white bread made using a milk and flour roux (called tangzhong) that gives the bread its signature fluffy tenderness. Gaijin, an apt moniker for Hill’s eatery meaning “foreigner,” also offers sides such as triple-cooked fries with house togarashi and mayo, and soy-marinated chicken nuggets or karaage.
3304 St. Claude Ave., @gaijinsandos
Howling for a lift . . . Vinh and Courtney Le are making their pop-up legend come to life with the opening of their first brick and mortar coffee shop in Metairie. Rougabrew, a play on the Cajun mythological creature the “rougarou,” is now located inside the former Ash & Ollie’s Snowballs & Soft Serve on Veterans Memorial Boulevard. Serving mostly iced coffees, as is apropos in our local climate, the cafe offers frothy creations like a Holy Trinity with Nutella cold foam and a vanilla protein shake or a Creole Coconut layered with coconut syrup and cookies and cream foam.
1645 Veterans Memorial Blvd., @rougabrewcoffee
Wow, it’s not ugly! … After being in business for more than a quarter of a century, the well-known Ugly Dog Saloon closed up shop last year, but now a new spot dubbed WOW Turkey has come to take its place. NOLA native Lance Domino is the proud owner, a 9th Ward denizen who has moved his pandemic-born, backyard business into the Saloon space, and everything’s coming up turkey. Specializing in stuffed turkey legs, you can get these mammoths filled with dishes like seafood pasta (the leg anointed in a spicy, citrusy mojo glaze), macaroni and cheese, crawfish etouffee and tomato-based jambalaya. The menu is massive with seafood platters, chargrilled oysters and burgers, but turkey keeps coming back like BBQ Turkey Burnt End sliders and Caribbean-style turkey necks. Gobble, gobble!
401 Andrew Higgins Blvd., @thewowturkey
Southern style . . . Formerly the Delta Blues Club and DMac’s, the Mid-City bar and music venue has been born again, this time as True South. Located on Norman C. Francis Parkway, the spot is now owned by brother Jason and George DeCastro, Erin Clark and Michael Shelow, the team who relaunched Liuzza’s Restaurant & Bar and French Quarter bar Finnegan’s Easy on St. Peter St. At True South, they’ve brought back the bar and the music, along with a menu of sandwiches, each based on dishes popular throughout the South. Think fried bologna with American cheese, chicken fried steak served on Texas toast with white gravy and an homage to Elvis called “The Memphis King,” a griddled peanut butter, caramelized banana and bacon sandwich on white bread.
542 S. Norman C. Francis Pkwy., @truesouthnola
Around the bend … James Beard-award winning restaurant Dakar NOLA has moved to the Riverbend, taking over the space once haunted by beloved local spot Matt & Naddies on Leonides St. Chef Serigne Mbaye and Effie Richardson, co-owners in the Michelin-starred Senegalese restaurant, have changed up more than just the location. Dakar NOLA still offers the tasting menu in a private dining room, but they’ve opened it up with another, more casual à la carte menu available on the covered patio outside. The tapas-like, Senegalese street food offerings widens their clientele, making the high end restaurant more approachable for everyone to enjoy.
937 Leonidas St., dakarnola.com
*Article originally published in the August 2026 issue of Where Y’at Magazine
