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News for Restaurants in New Orleans
March 2013 Archive

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RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

New Orleans' wildly popular hot dog restaurant, Dat Dog, has opened a second location at 3336 Magazine Street. Because the business has been so successful in its first location on Freret Street, the menu is identical in the new spot, as is the primary-colored outdoor patio. The Faubourg Marigny will soon have its own Dat Dog on the bustling Frenchmen Street. The third location is due to open in the summer. Lunch & Dinner daily. Dat Dog, 5030 Freret St., New Orleans, LA 70115, 504-899-6883.
 
The long-awaited opening of locally beloved chef Dominique Macquet's new uptown restaurant has finally happened. Macquet became known and respected by local diners with his restaurant Dominique's in the Maison Dupuy Hotel in the French Quarter. Dominique's on Magazine is located in a stunningly renovated former firehouse near the busy corner of Magazine and Napoleon streets. This time Macquet is intent on using as many locally grown products as possible, including some that he grows on the restaurant grounds in his own hydroponic herb and vegetable garden. The new restaurant, planned since 2010, features what Macquet calls "tropical French" cuisine, since Macquet hails from the island of Mauritius. Typical items to be found on the new menu include a seared Maple Leaf Farms duck breast, grilled diver scallops with pappardelle pasta, and sautéed sweetbreads with puréed potatoes and chimichurri. The restaurant also has a craft cocktail program. Dinner Tues.-Sat., Brunch Sun. Dominique's on Magazine, 4213 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70125, 504-891-9282.
 

News Bytes

James Beard Award Nominations Announced
The nominees for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards have been announced. Among the New Orleans representatives are Restaurant August for Outstanding Restaurant. The annual Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception will take place on May 3 & 6, 2013, at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York. Find reviews for the restaurants nominated on GAYOT's James Beard Foundation Awards coverage.
 
The Three Muses is Expanding
The company that brought small plates and live jazz to Frenchmen Street is growing. The owners of Three Muses in the Faubourg Marigny announced they have taken over the former Dunbar's Restaurant space on Freret Street with the plan to open The Muse on Freret. Although music will not be the focus this time, the restaurant will offer some of its most popular tapas and small plate items, as well as full entrée-size portions. No projected opening date has been announced. The big question is whether chef Daniel Esses will carry over his in-demand dishes, such as the butternut squash ravioli and the falafael sliders. Fingers crossed. Dinner nightly. Three Muses, 536 Frenchmen St., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504-252-4801.
 
Brennan's Legal Battle is Settled
The long legal battle that originally threatened to close the fabled Brennan's permanently has reached what owner Ted Brennan calls "an amicable resolution." The case centered around the restaurant's multi-million dollar debt which existed when a new company bought the business's unpaid mortgage last year. Now the two parties have settled in a way that allows the Brennan family to own the restaurant and a company named Leggo/4 to own the building. At the height of the legal crisis, Brennan's was actually scheduled to be auctioned off in December 2012, but a court ruling blocked the auction. Brennan's, 417 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-525-9711.
 
Cafe Reconcile Gets a Facelift and an Expansion
Cafe Reconcile, known as a teaching restaurant for at-risk young people seeking culinary and restaurant careers, has just reopened after an extreme expansion. What was once a 2400-square-foot bustling daytime eatery has now incorporated an adjacent building and expanded to 17,000 square feet. The owners call the cuisine "soul-filled food," and the new $6 million renovation promises to keep the non-profit training program in place for years to come. The enlarged space will also allow the owners to triple the number of students who will be trained at the restaurant. What has not changed is the popular menu, featuring items such as fried shrimp, andouille pasta, baked chicken, a variety of po-boys and jambalaya. Cafe Reconcile, 1631 Oretha C. Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113, 504-568-1157.
 

Chef Shuffle

Following the recent departure of the Maison Dupuy Hotel's chef Michael Farrell, who is moving to the Cayman Islands, the hotel announced the hiring of Jason Schwartz as the new executive chef. Schwartz, who hails from New York and south Florida, will helm the hotel's restaurants, Le Meritage and Bistro. Dinner Tues.-Fri., Lunch Fri. Le Meritage, 1001 Toulouse St., New Orleans, LA 70112, 504-522-8800.
 

Closings

CLOSED FOR GOOD
Take your taste buds on a walk down memory lane! Check out our exclusive closed restaurant database for New Orleans to virtually visit your favorite dining spots from the past. Dominique's, R.I.P.

Check back soon for more news.

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to learn to cook
? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.


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