6 October 2023
Salmon pani puri from Saffron. | Saffron
Plus, a members-only club is headed to New Orleans, Liberty’s Kitchen reopens after pandemic hiatus, and more news to know
Saffron, Uptown’s acclaimed fine-dining Indian restaurant run by the Vilkhu family, has launched a chef’s tasting menu alongside the debut of its new fall offerings. It’s a first for the six-year-old restaurant and an exciting addition to its exceptional menu of upscale regional Indian specialties incorporating Louisiana ingredients. The multi-course dinner costs $110 per person with an optional $55 wine pairing, and menus can be customized to accommodate various dietary requirements.
‘Modern social club’ to open in the Warehouse District
A Nashville developer has plans to bring the fourth location of Common House, a ‘modern social club,’ to New Orleans’s Warehouse District this summer. It’s a 20,000-square-foot hall set for the former Louisiana Children’s Museum and will include a “restaurant, rooftop pool, fitness center, event rental space, open coworking space, and more.” Members of Common House, which sounds similar in concept to the global, hyper-exclusive Soho House, will also have access to programming, live music, wine tastings, speaker series, and other member networking events. There are currently locations in Charlottesville, VA, Richmond, VA, and Chattanooga, TN.
Fast-casual Mexican favorite opens in Metairie
A fourth New Orleans location of Felipe’s has opened in Old Metairie, reports the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, adding to the ever-growing number of restaurants in the neighborhood along Metairie Road. Opened by the Stumm family, like the others, this newest location boasts a particularly large outdoor space with TVs, an indoor-outdoor bar window, and touchscreen kiosks for placing orders outdoors.
Liberty’s Kitchen reopens after pandemic hiatus
Liberty’s Kitchen, the nonprofit/restaurant hybrid attached to the Whole Foods on Broad Street, has reopened after several years closed. Liberty’s Kitchen sales support the culinary-based nonprofit’s mission and primary work: A 10-week hands-on job training program for young adults. The kitchen, led by chef Syrena Johnson, serves up cafe fare like salads, wraps, sandwiches, and burgers for lunch Monday through Friday.
Eater is celebrating its first-ever cookbook in New Orleans
On Monday, October 23, at 6 p.m. at the Ace Hotel New Orleans, Eater New Orleans editor Clair Lorell will sit down for a conversation with chef Nina Compton, followed by a Q&A, to celebrate its first-ever cookbook, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes from the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters (which features Compton’s recipe for crawfish hushpuppies). There will be food for sale inspired by Compton’s cuisine, and Garden District Book Store will be onsite with books for purchase and signing. It’s one of several events taking place around the country this month; for a full list see here, and visit the Ace’s website for more information and tickets.