The French Quarter’s Promising New Italian Restaurant Closes After Just Eight Months

Promising modern Italian restaurant La Mensa has closed its French Quarter doors after eight months, marking the second short-lived restaurant to occupy the space since a decades-long run as the popular Maximo’s.

Owner of fast-casual CBD cafe Louise Britten Carboni quietly opened La Mensa last June with Hugh Uhalt, the owner of the building at 1117 Decatur Street. Uhalt previously operated upscale Creole restaurant Trinity in the building for three years, saying when he closed it last April that he had a new, more casual concept in mind. Trinity replaced Maximo’s, an old-school Italian bistro that thrived with neighborhood residents for more than 20 years, save for a two-year hiatus following Hurricane Katrina.

Billing itself as an “Italian eatery with colorful vibes,” La Mensa served a thoughtful menu of fresh pasta dishes and pizza, charcuterie boards, vegetable dishes, and seafood, and offered a wide-ranging Italian wine list and happy hour. It gained quick praise as an encouraging neighborhood addition geared towards locals, but seemed to struggled with customer volume.

Eater has reached out to Carboni and Uhalt for comment and will update this post if we hear back.

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• In the Former Trinity, a New Italian Restaurant Joins the French Quarter Dining Scene [ENOLA]
• Trinity Will Open in Maximo’s Space After Million-Dollar Makeover [ENOLA]
• Modern Italian restaurant La Mensa adds to a promising trend in French Quarter [NOLA.COM]
• Trinity Will Open in Maximo’s Space After Million-Dollar Makeover [ENOLA]