Angeline, opening tomorrow (March 24), is former Sylvain chef Alex Harrell's new restaurant, named for his mother. The restaurant concept is meant to embody her grace and charm, while providing an elegant take on the food that Chef Harrell grew up with.
The warm and hospitable aesthetic includes personal touches such as photos of the chef's mother and great grandmother as well as his mother's collection of Alabama folk pottery. Chef Harrell also contributed some pieces from his own SEM collection to display in the bar area (the preeminent cartoonist and caricaturist of the French Belle Epoque.)
The former Stella! space has been pared down to reflect Chef Harrell's personal tastes, with wood floors, exposed beams, and warm colors inspired from the historic French Quarter palate. As he previously shared with Eater,"The restaurant is in the French Quarter so it needs to have a sense of place and a sense of history. It's in a historic building, so we wanted to tie it to that neighborhood."
The design was created in collaboration with Nathan Drewes and Patrick Dunn from Lucullus.
The menu draws from his family southern traditions and New Orleans experience, but tweaked to incorporate northern Mediterranean notes with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients. For example, the cornbread found in the bread basket is a family recipe that the chef coaxed out of an aunt, and it's accompanied by butter made in-house.
The bar program, created by general manager and former Sylvain bartender Jeff Grdinich and executed by local chambermaid fave Christine Jeanine Nielson (who crafted Lucky Rooster's program) includes high quality takes of the gin and tonic, sazerac, and milk punch. The cocktails and other beverages will be food friendly and priced reasonably.
Angeline
1032 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: (504) 308-3106
Website: angelinenola.com
