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504 Craft Beer Reserve, which first opened in 2016 to the delight of New Orleans craft beer connoisseurs, is reopening today after a three-month hiatus prompted by lingering fallout from the pandemic. The beer shop and taproom will work to rebuild inventory over the next few months, owners said in an Instagram post this week, with plans to implement a membership program in the new year. Come January, donors to the bar’s revival efforts will receive individual rewards like discounts, special events, and more. It’s good news for beer lovers missing the Avenue Pub, which remains closed for renovations.
Longtime W Hotel restaurant SoBou rebrands
SoBou, the W Hotel’s sleek restaurant and bar, has long been celebrated for its cocktail program, vibrant atmosphere, romantic courtyard, and weekly “Legs and Eggs” burlesque brunch. Well, it’s recently been renamed 3rd Block Depot, but is sticking to the formula that has made it a popular French Quarter stop — chef Nick Ocheltree remains, as does his menu of contemporary American cuisine spiked with Cajun and Creole influences. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, and burlesque brunch weekly.
Bon Ton Cafe gets a new chapter
After closing during the pandemic, there’s a new life ahead for longtime CBD comfort food and Cajun dining destination Bon Ton Cafe, reports NOLA.com. The owner of Chophouse New Orleans, Jerry Greenbaum, first purchased the historic building at 401 Magazine Street in 2020. Now his company has shared plans to reopen the restaurant — under the same name and with the same focus on Creole and Cajun food — sometime in early 2023.
Cavan transforms into film set for AMC show
If you’ve noticed an intriguing restaurant taking shape at the former Cavan, it’s not the forthcoming restaurant from celebrated Birmingham, Alabama chef Chris Dupont — it’s a film set. AMC series The Driver, which has been filming in New Orleans for the last few months, reports NOLA.com, has transformed it into a gorgeous and colorful Zimbabwean restaurant called Kumba (in the show). Dupont bought Cavan, which closed in September 2021, last year, announcing plans to return to his native New Orleans and open a new restaurant in the space.
