Benson-Backed Faubourg Brewing Joins Forces With Three Southern Craft Breweries

One of New Orleans’s biggest breweries, Faubourg Brewing (formerly known as Dixie) has merged with a trio of craft breweries with the goal of becoming the largest craft brewer in the Southeast. All four will collectively operate out of the New Orleans East brewery, with Faubourg adding Oyster City Brewing out of Florida, Catawba Brewing out of North Carolina, and Palmetto Brewing out of South Carolina to its lineup. They’ll all be produced and sold at Faubourg, with the company estimating it will eventually be able to produce 100,000 barrels per year.

New Orleans Saints owners Gayle and Tom Benson purchased the 114-year-old, New Orleans-born brewery, then called Dixie, in 2017. They later embarked on a $30 million, 80,000-square-foot brewery in New Orleans East as part of their effort to relaunch the brand, debuting the site in January 2020 (Gayle took over Dixie — as well as the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans franchises — when Tom died in 2018). The brand first announced a name change in June 2020, and relaunched as Faubourg Brewing in 2021. It’s since become a hugely popular weekend destination, consistently hosting family-friendly events, music festivals, and food trucks on its lawn.

Beignet Fest returns to City Park on Saturday

The beloved Beignet Festival is back after a long, two-year hiatus this Saturday, September 24 at City Park’s Festival Grounds. The lineup includes vendors like Loretta’s Authentic Pralines, Stuph’d, Afrodisiac, and the Vintage, among others, along with a full day of family-friendly music. Tickets for the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. event are $20 and free for kids 12 and under.

Donostia Supper Club is popping up at Zasu next week

The chef behind popular Spanish pintxos pop-up Txow Txow, Adam Mayer, has relaunched the Donostia Supper Club, a dinner series that had a successful run last year. The series, rather than the snacks the pop-up specializes in, delivers a multi-course meal based on flavors from San Sebastian cuisine, like olive oil poached halibut with piperada, salsa verde, and saffron beurre blanc. Next up is Monday, September 26 and Tuesday, September 27 at Zasu — seats are $80 for four courses plus lagniappe, $15 of which goes to hurricane Fiona relief.

Two vastly different New Orleans restaurants make New York Times list

The New York Times published a list of 50 restaurants it loves in 2022, the Restaurant List, a semi-confusing mix of new and old that offers little criteria. Still, two quality New Orleans restaurants make an appearance: fine-dining French Quarter destination Brennan’s, and Chicken’s Kitchen, a two-year-old popular Gretna spot for wings, fried chicken, and homestyle Southern specialties like seafood okra and rice, turkey dressing, and hushpuppies.

Shaya brings Israeli flavors to the North Shore

Uptown Israeli restaurant Shaya will open a sister restaurant on the north shore, reports NOLA.com, an offshoot that will serve small plates, hummus, sandwiches, and slow-roasted meats. TAVI, as it’s called, will be led by Fariz Choumali, the current chef at Shaya, and is anticipated to open in Covington at 330 N. New Hampshire Street in November 2022.