Ste. Marie's New Culinary Direction and Cocktail Revamp

There's been a lot going on at Ste. Marie lately, the high design CBD bar and restaurant whose chef Ngoc Nguyen tragically passed away after the New Year. In the wake of their heartbreaking loss, things are actually looking up for Ste. Marie, with exciting new changes to both their menu and bar? new mixology dream team, Murph Reeves and Christine Jeanine Nielsen? just in time for the locust cloud of Super Bowl fans to descend upon Poydras Street.

Chef Nguyen, along with owner Robert LeBlanc, had spent the past year reshaping the menu into its current mix of New Orleans Brasserie/ Vietnamese/Soul Food. And Leblanc tells Eater that even with Ngoc's passing, their menu will reflect more Vietnamese influences:

Darian Williams, who has been Ngoc's sous chef for the last eight months, wrote down all of Ngoc's recipes and methods of production. Darian is intent on getting those things on the menu permanently so that we can honor Ngoc in that way.

The bar also has a killer new line up. Murph Reeves, former manager of Sylvain, is now managing partner, reports Where Yat's Anne Berry this week. He's written a new cocktail list, which Berry describes as having many intriguing masculine elements ie. whiskey, dudes.

Eater also just learned that Christine Jeanine Nielsen has parted ways with the Cocktail Bar at the Windsor Court, and has moved over to Ste. Marie. LeBlanc says, "we're really excited and lucky to have her. She and Murf are working to create really interesting and well-executed cocktails that are still light-hearted and fun, as is their way."

· Cocktail News [WhereYat]
· All Ste. Marie Coverage [-ENOLA-]