6 March 2024
After closing in 2022, Mid-City is back. | Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA
Plus, Magasin Vietnamese Cafe returns to Uptown, and more New Orleans restaurant news
After closing more than a year ago, Mid City Pizza is readying to reopen its original Banks Street under new owner Tony Cortello. Thin-crust, New York-style pies are on the menu, of course — Cortello says he’s actually installed a water system that mimics the exact pH and mineral content of New York city water, recreating that true Big Apple taste in the dough. He’s also offering a few Sicilian-style pizzas, Italian sandwiches, salads, and starters, plus wine, beer, and classic cocktails. Cortello says that if all goes as planned, he hopes to open to the public this Friday, March 8.
Mid-City Pizza was originally founded by Rand Owens in 2013 — it quickly established itself as a laid-back, cozy staple for thin-crust pizza and old-school arcade games. Owens expanded to a second location in Uptown in 2017. After his death in 2020 at age 33, the restaurant remained open for three years, eventually closing in December of 2022. Cortello and his partners purchased the business last August.
Magasin relocates to Uptown
After months of renovations, Magasin Vietnamese Cafe is now open at 4226 Magazine Street, just across from the restaurant’s original location that closed in 2022. Owner Kim Nguyen says she chose to move from the restaurant’s former location on Oak Street, where it was called Mukbang, because the space was way too big — plus, sales and foot traffic were inconsistent. Nguyen’s mother is helping lead the new restaurant. “Mom loves Magazine Street and heard that we are opening up here [so] she decided to get out of retirement and get back in the restaurant again,” Nguyen says. “She is a busybody and could not wait to return.” Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Shawarma on the Go is back in business
After closing in late January due to a medical emergency, Shawarma on the Go is back open and serving Iraqi-style kebabs and French-fry stuffed chicken shawarma wraps on Magazine Street. Owners Abbas and Shannon Alsherees thanked their customers on Instagram for the prayers they’d received for Abbas’s recovery.