10 May 2024
A longtime French Quarter spot for dinner and traditional jazz is closing after 35 years, and more closures to know
May 2024
Palm Court Jazz Cafe
An icon of New Orleans’s live jazz scene, the Palm Court Jazz Cafe, is closing after 35 years, says owner Nina Buck. Buck posted a message to the venue’s website earlier this week, noting the Palm Court would permanently close its doors on June 2. “We regret this decision but we have had to make it for a variety of reasons; financial and rising costs have made it impossible for us to continue and maintain our high standards,” Buck wrote. Trad jazz has been a thing at Palm Court Jazz Cafe since 1989, where Nina and George Buck hosted legendary New Orleans musicians like Danny Baker and Topsy Chapman. It was a reliable, nostalgic destination for dinner and a show, with longtime chef Bobby Davis cooking up New Orleans classics like fried oysters, gumbo, and crab cakes with Hollandaise. The Palm Court’s final shows are scheduled Wednesday through Sunday nights through through the end of May; call for reservations.
Happy Raptor Distilling
Happy Raptor Distilling, a New Orleans-founded spirits distillery that got its start during a local brewery and distillery boom, is shutting down this month. Founders Mark Taliancich, Meagen Moreland-Taliancich, and Peter Rivera opened the Central City distillery focused on infused rums in February 2020 — a month before the arrival of the pandemic. From there, founders wrote in an announcement posted to the distillery’s website, they faced a series of “disasters,” saying, “The resources to support small business in Louisiana are like a drop of water on an elephant’s back.” The taproom’s last day is May 17.