This sprawling Navy Yard newcomer is all about New Orleans-style fun
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Catahoula opens in Navy Yard with Cajun and Creole cooking, frozen drinks and crawfish boils. Photo: Courtesy flipsh0t
A waterfront New Orleans-style restaurant opens in Navy Yard on Thursday.
Why it matters: Frozen daiquiris, crawfish boils, patio po' boys and a wine terrace? There's a lot to like about chef Thomas Malz's "love letter to Louisiana," as he describes Catahoula.
Dig in: The sprawling indoor/outdoor space — formerly All-Purpose — is built for sipping, mingling and lingering across four distinct areas:
- An indoor brasserie serving upscale Cajun and Creole fare like broiled oysters, homemade boudin and gumbo — plus French wines and absinthe service.
- A 100-seat patio — "Snake and Jake's, but a little nicer," Malz says — with dressed po' boys on Leidenheimer rolls and Pimm's Cups.
- A seasonal "boil garden" for crawfish, frozen Hand Grenades and live music.
- A 34-seat wine terrace inspired by New Orleans favorite Bacchanal, with funky bottles, charcuterie boards and prime river views.
The intrigue: Malz isn't from Louisiana — but as a Québécois chef whose lineage traces back to the Acadians, he's exploring his roots through food.
- Cajun cuisine originated with French-speaking Acadians expelled from eastern Canada in the 1700s who later settled in Louisiana.
- The menu also channels New Orleans in the '70s and '80s — think peak Emeril — with decadent throwbacks like prime rib à la Prudhomme, thrice-baked potatoes and fricassée Acadienne (like a French-Canadian chicken stew with dumplings).
Yes, but: It's not all big spender energy.
- Bar veteran Rachel Sergi designed a playful cocktail list, with many drinks in the $12–$14 range — including a bartender's take on a hurricane and a cranked-out Ramos gin fizz.
The bottom line: "We're making it fun, because New Orleans is all about fun — fun on the plate, fun in your mouth," Sergi says.