Po-boy preservation . . . Since chef Benjamin Wicks and Art Mahony Murray opened Mahony’s Po-boys over 15 years ago, folks from near and far have been flocking to the Magazine Street restaurant for a taste of Wicks’ fine dining take on po-boys (this writer loved the pot roast beef and fried chicken liver). Lots of fans were bummed when Mahony’s closed its last door over the summer, but Mahony’s is back thanks to restaurateur Robért LeBlanc and the team at French Quarter bar The Will and The Way. Chef Josh Williams is presenting a po-boy menu which includes longtime Mahony’s favorites such as the root beer-glazed ham and cochon de lait, in addition to some newbies like fried shrimp and andouille gravy and a muffuletta eggroll appetizer. Tristan Ferchl has stepped up the bar program with a few cool ideas of his own, taking non-alcoholic beverages like root beer, iced tea, and lemonade, and twisting them into delightfully adult-style drinks
3454 Magazine St., (504) 899-3374, mahonyspoboys.com
When the saints go marching in . . . Chef/owner Eric Cook of Lower Garden District hit Gris Gris and author of his recently released cookbook Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine, has reopened his former Decatur Street restaurant Saint John on St. Charles Avenue. Housed in the space formerly occupied by Le Chat Noir (both the theater and Bearcat’s short stint into fine dining), the “haute Creole” concept is being led by chef de cuisine Darren Chabert, a chef who has worked with Cook for the past two years. Menu items at the new location include those amazing smothered turkey necks and Creole beef daube we all know and love, plus dishes like a “Challah Back” burger made with chargrilled beef and cheddar on a challah bun.
715 St. Charles Ave., (504) 381-0385, saintjohnnola.com
A Nola-born bar . . . Caesars New Orleans recently opened Octavia, a cocktail lounge and bar that “marries the grandeur of Ancient Rome with the enchanting spirit of the Big Easy.” The newly-branded hotel and casino has taken out all the stops on symbolism with Octavia, a bar named after Julius Caesar’s niece who was born in Nola, Italy (right?), and was one of the most distinguished women in the Roman empire who was admired for her humanity, nobility and adherence to traditional feminine virtues. Because nothing says femininity like cocktails! The octagonally-shaped lounge is also a nod to Caesars New Orleans’ address (8 Canal Street), and the number itself has long been revered in many cultures as a symbol of prosperity and success.
The bar alone features 27 seats, surrounded by 136 more replete with table games and slot options all overhung by a massive, $750,000, 26 by 31 foot chandelier made of 600 fiber optic tubes. Octavia’s cocktail menu curated with a “feminine-forward” approach include includes libations like an Octavia Sour, a Cafe Du Monde-inspired coffee cocktail and a Paper Fortune Teller Sazerac Experience.
8 Canal Street, Caesars New Orleans, caesars.com/caesars-new-orleans
Blessed are the Carrolltonians . . . From the people who brought La Tia Cantina to Metairie comes Aguasanta, a brand new Mexican restaurant on Oak Street, filling the vacancy once home to Magasin Vietnamese Cafe and Muckbang Seafood. Self-touted as “modern” and “unexpected” the menu differs from La Tia and is inspired by Mexican and Latin American cuisine, though there are some American dishes sprinkled in, too like a fat, juicy cheeseburger.
8312 Oak St., (504) 381-5328, aguasantanola.com
Changing of the guard … Meg Gray was recently tapped as Executive Chef of Tujague’s, one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in the country. Taking the reins from seasoned New Orleans chef Gus Martin, Gray is a culinary arts graduate from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT), and survivor of Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas. “We are thrilled to promote Chef Meg to Executive Chef at Tujague’s,” says owner Mark Latter of Latter Hospitality. “Her passion for the rich history of New Orleans and her commitment to keeping the T ujague’s tradition alive while injecting her own creative spirit into the menu makes her the perfect choice to lead the kitchen.”
429 Decatur St., (504) 525-8676, tujaguesrestaurant.com
‘Round the bend … The long-awaited Le Ponce cafe has finally opened, taking over the space long occupied by Fair Grinds Coffeehouse. Jacques Soulas and Jerry Edgar, owners of Cafe Degas around the corner, jumped on the opportunity when the property came available in the spring of 2022. Joe Turley, the chef at Cafe Degas, is also managing the kitchen at Le Ponce, offering diners breakfast and lunch tartines served on Ayu Bakehouse baguettes, plain and chocolate croissants, and delicate chouquettes or sugar puffs topped with pearl sugar featuring a custard-like interior. Specialty coffee drinks, from cafe au laits to cortados and flat whites, are brewed from beans curated and roasted at Applied Arts Coffee.
3133 Ponce de Leon St., @leponcenola
Brotherhood … Rafat and Ramzy Barakat recently launched Broski’s Subs, a new sandwich shop on the corner of 4th and Huey P. Long Avenue in Gretna. Taking over the building that formerly housed ice cream shop Roulé, Broski’s features a few “signature” subs – an Angus prime rib on buttered brioche with au jus, Chicago-style Italian beef, and smoked BBQ beef brisket – but you can also build your own with a choice of breads, meats and toppings. The sub shop also features an eclectic mix of soups and sides, from chicken enchilada soup to Cajun waffle fries, and mac ‘n’ cheese.
401 Huey P. Long Ave., Gretna
*Article originally published in the December 2024 issue of Where Y’at Magazine
*Lead image from Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine courtesy of Sam Hanna
