Longtime New Orleans Chef Aims to Fill Void with Upcoming Metairie Restaurant

Duke LoCicero, the longtime chef and owner of the French Quarter’s now-closed Cafe Giovanni, will bring a Cajun-Creole-Italian restaurant and bar to Metairie this September, reports the Advocate.

LoCicero is opening Dab’s two years after closing his beloved Italian Cafe Giovanni in 2017, a Decatur Street fixture for 26 years. With Dab’s, he hopes to fill a void for quality late-night food and drinks in the area, focusing on lighter, smaller plates and again offering a variety of surprise items via food flights. LoCicero told the Advocate he’d revive some of the signature dishes from Cafe Giovanni, including a fried oyster dish plated on a “stained glass” pattern of five sauces. Dab’s will stay open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, with a bar specializing in bourbon and whiskey.

The new restaurant is in the former home of neighborhood cafe Cello’s (3401 N. Hullen St.), which announced it was closing at the end of May after five years. LoCicero expects to open Dab’s in September.

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• At Dab’s in Metairie, Duke LoCicero plans late-night dining, small plates [ADVOCATE]
• Cafe Giovanni in the French Quarter closes after 26 years: report [NOLA.COM]