Mandeville’s Opal Basil Finds a New Home in the Warehouse District

This summer, Old Mandeville’s recently shuttered Southern meets Southwestern tapas-style restaurant, Opal Basil, will move to a “revamped” home in the Warehouse District at 719 South Peters Street. Chef Robert Vazquez is originally from Arizona, but moved to New Orleans 15 years ago.

Todd Price reports that owners Robert and Lindsey Jo Vasquez plan to make the new spot convenient, “a place where you can stop in for just a coffee or a glass of wine. Salads and flatbread will be sold for dine-in or grab and go.”

The restaurant’s menu at the Mandeville location was mostly small plates uniting the flavors of the South and Southwestern United States, which diners found in dishes like the crawfish relleno and the chipotle shrimp served over cheesy blue corn grits (a twist on the ubiquitous shrimp and grits dishes.)

Robert Vazquez also runs a meal delivery service on the North Shore called Vivé.