Neighborhood nosh . . . Among the first culinarians to graduate from New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) and kin of The Kupcake Factory owners, Laura Bueso recently partnered with her mother to launch Barrio Bites Mid-City. Located in the former Church Alley Coffee shop space on Canal Street, only a couple of blocks from the S. Carrollton intersection, the new bakery/cafe will obviously be the hub for Bueso’s stunning king cakes come 2027 (can you say Dubai Chocolate?), but is fast becoming a go-to neighborhood pastry and coffee spot all year round. The family business not only offers her mom’s award-winning cupcakes and specialty coffee drinks, it also plays it savory with breakfast and lunch options.
4201 Canal St., @barriobitesmidcity
A familee affair . . . Famous Detroit, Michigan food influencer Keith Lee is teaming up with Morrow Hospitality to host an inaugural food and music festival right here in New Orleans next month. Keith Lee’s Familee Day will take place at the UNO Lakefront Festival Grounds on Saturday, May 16 and will feature a wide array of performers – from multiple Grammy Award-winning musician Kirk Franklin and Tobe Nwigwe from Texas, to YouTube kid’s show Gracie’s Corner. Many local musicians will also be taking the stage, such as Mannie Fresh, DJ Arie Spins and LA Reezy. The festival will also include a food village “curated by Keith Lee” featuring some of the “best restaurants in the city” with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free offerings.
famileeday.com
Full circle. . . Although the Freret Street pizza destination Ancora shuttered in July last year, its replacement remains Garcia-esque. Adolfo Garcia Jr. is following in his father’s footsteps as a restaurateur with the recent launch of Dolfy’s, affectionately named (and conceptualized) in honor of dear old dad. A couple of years ago, Junior opened Korean fried chicken joint Chi-Chi’s in the former Windowsill Pies space with his wife Sophia Petrou, but his second restaurant hearkens to his past at Rio Mar. Open for nearly 15 years in the Warehouse District, Rio Mar was a hugely popular Spanish/Latin American-tapas restaurant and, as it so happens, where Junior pretty much grew up. Dolfy’s isn’t a reboot of Rio Mar (regardless of how badly we all want it to come back), but it is focused on regional Spanish cuisine with dishes of dry-aged beef, pinchos or bread and cured meat bar snacks, “burnt” Basque cheesecakes, and seafood.
4508 Freret St., @dolfys_nola
Don’t be shellfish . . . Bubbly fans were bummed when French Quarter champagne bar and restaurant Effervescence closed over the summer, but there’s no need to fret! Brenna Sanders and Evan Ingram, the chefs who helmed the kitchen at Effervescence, have taken over the restaurant and renamed it The Crustacean Club. The duo’s focus is on Gulf seafood and the menu reflects that, with shellfish from other waters as well. Plus, corks are still popping at the Rampart Street restaurant, so you can still eat your caviar wishes and sip on champagne dreams.
1036 N. Rampart St., thecrustaceanclub.com
Killer ‘cue . . . It begins early every Thursday and Friday morning, people lining up to get their Central Texas-style barbecue from Gonzo’s Smokehouse in Luling, Louisiana. Located out on River Road, Gonzo’s has grown from a festival vendor to a part-time BBQ pick-up and now, it has moved into its very own digs just a ways up the river. The juicy smoked brisket that make up their heady bowls of Yakamein and smoke-alicious Smash Burgers are the domain of West Bank-born and raised pitmaster Jason Gonzalez whose hobby has become a GNO-sensation. The new location next to German Coast Beer Co. keeps the same hours, but with both indoor and outdoor seating, more folks can kick back while devouring their BBQ.
13899 River Rd., Luling, @gonzossmokehouse
Late night lattes . . . Yemeni coffeehouses were one of the hottest industry trends last year and it’s only taken the GNO a year or so to catch up! Thanks to the Middle-Eastern community, our area – specifically the Westbank – now boasts two Yemeni coffee shops with the recent opening of Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. in Harvey (the first was Aden Aroma Yemeni Coffee just up the street). The Michigan-born chain began as a coffee wholesaler by partners Hatem El-Eidaroos and Munif Maweri who sought to support Yemeni farmers and sourcing conflict-free beans. Launched in 2021, the company now has over 25 franchises across the country. Located on Manhattan Boulevard near Target, Qamaria is not so much a cafe as it is an experience, serving uniquely-spiced specialty coffee drinks and pastries like khaliat nahl aka honeycomb bread and baklava cheesecake in an uber-clean and colorful space decorated with bright murals and scrolled arches. But don’t expect it to be your new morning fix as Qamaria is open from 5pm to midnight.
1801 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey, @qamaria.neworleans
Bestist of the best . . . North America’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2026 will be counted down at a special awards ceremony right here in New Orleans on Thursday, May 28. The inaugural event for 50 Best began in Las Vegas last year, but we all know our city is the perfect host for such a gastronomic undertaking. In partnership with the New Orleans & Co., “the event will bring together chefs, restaurateurs and industry leaders from across the region for a series of culinary events culminating in the live awards ceremony.”
theworlds50best.com/northamerica
*Article originally published in the May 2026 issue of Where Y’at Magazine
**Lead image of Dolfy’s Chips y Jamon Iberico courtesy of Kat Kimball
