Marigny Standby Feelings Cafe Will Reopen as a Raw Bar from Chef Marlon Alexander

The former home of Marigny long-timer Feelings Cafe will reopen as Cru by Chef Marlon Alexander, marking the chef’s first foray into restaurants after opening two Pythian Market food stands earlier this year.

Ian McNulty at the Advocate reports that the restaurant will expand on the raw-bar offerings of Cru, his Pythian Market food stand of the same name. It is set to open this New Year’s Eve, with the formerly California-based private chef running it through his company, Jekyll and Hyde Hospitality Group.

Alexander’s company is leasing the property from its current ownership group. Originally opened in 1979 and at its current location since 1980, the restaurant has changed hands a number of times since longtime owner Jim Baird sold it in 2014.

The latest owner, Craig Trentecosta, closed Feelings Cafe this past July. Before Trentecosta bought it in 2016, Tony Marino owned it for two years, nearly changing the restaurant’s name amid menu and interior renovations.

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• Former Home of Feelings Cafe in Marigny to Become Cru by Chef Marlon Alexander [Advocate]
• Somebody Please Buy Feelings Cafe [ENOLA]
• Feelings Cafe Has Closed, But Probably Not For Good [ENOLA]