First look: Delacroix restaurant on New Orleans' riverfront
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Chef John Besh's company opens its new seafood restaurant Monday that overlooks the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans.
Why it matters: Delacroix's space in Spanish Plaza fits in with the city's wider efforts to revitalize the riverfront.
The big picture: Delacroix — pronounced "Del-uh-croh" like the town in St. Bernard Parish — is meant to be an upscale version of your favorite hunting and fishing camp.
- The menu focuses on local seafood and rustic South Louisiana cooking. Think duck poppers, oyster stew, grilled redfish, crabby rice, gumbo and burgers.
- You can get lunch for about $25 and dinner for about $35, manager Roger Eyles says.
What to expect: They pitch it as "come as you are" — casual enough for a quick beer at the bar while you watch the game or great for a celebratory dinner on the patio overlooking the river.
- "We all can get dressed up and we can also get down and dirty" in south Louisiana, says designer Alison Mantilla Raskin. "I think we'll have that vibe here."
- They're hoping to get foot traffic from the Algiers ferry, the Audubon Aquarium and the Riverwalk shops.
- There's a kid's menu, oyster bar and specialty cocktails, too.
The vibe: The spot was previously the Crazy Lobster, but nothing of that venue remains.
- The restaurant is wide open with floor-to-ceiling windows that let you watch the paddlewheelers as they pass by.
- The walls are covered in photos and mementos from Besh and other Louisiana natives.
- There's a pirogue on the wall in the dining room, a stuffed raccoon by the bar and vintage swimsuits in the bathroom.
Zoom in: Chef Wiley Lewis has previously worked at Borgne, Restaurant August, Domenica and Willa Jean.
- She tells Axios she's especially excited about her riff on baked Alaska. It's like the "Viennetta" ice cream cake of the '80s and '90s with a brûléed meringue.
- The shrimp-stuffed pork chop is a stunner too, she says.
Friction point: Besh is the co-founder of Delacroix and co-owns BRG Hospitality, which remains one of the city's largest restaurant groups.
- After a sexual harassment scandal in 2017, he moved behind the scenes and the company rebranded.
- While Besh retains his ownership in BRG, he hasn't been the public face of the company in years.
- The management at Delacroix declined to comment about his involvement in the new restaurant, saying they want to focus on the future.
State of play: Various groups have been working to develop the Mississippi riverfront for years.
- The Riverwalk, Algiers ferry terminal, Spanish Plaza, Audubon Aquarium, Woldenberg Park and Crescent Park have had millions of dollars poured into them in the past decade.
- Audubon is also is moving forward on its $30 million linear park with event spaces.
- And near the convention center, work has begun on Shell's new Gulf headquarters in the new Riverfront District. Plus, there's a new agreement for the blighted Market Street Power Plant.
If you go: Delacroix opens Monday at 1 Poydras Street. It serves lunch and dinner seven days a week.
- They'll validate parking for 30% off at One Canal Place.
- Reservations are open now.
