Workers were still putting the finishing touches Thursday on the new location of Liberty Cheesesteaks on Freret. (Robert Morris, UptownMessenger.com)
Like its predecessor Dat Dog, Liberty Cheesesteaks has moved out of the tiny spot where it started and will reopen next week in a much larger space just down Freret Street.
Meanwhile, in other recent Uptown dining news, the Freret corridor has another new restaurant called “Bearcat,” the O’Henry’s location on South Carrollton is now home to Batture seafood restaurant, Byblos will return to Magazine Street, and the heralded Altamura restaurant at the Magnolia Mansion has abruptly closed.
Liberty Cheesesteaks closed its original location at 5031 Freret July 20, roughly four and a half years after opening there in early 2013. On Tuesday, Aug. 1, they will reopen — with the addition of alcohol sales — at 5039 Freret, the former location of La Nuit comedy club until the end of 2016.
Meanwhile, the opposite end of the Freret restaurant row has another new kid, Bearcat cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot at 2521 Jena, according to nola.com. The “Bad Cat” side of the menu offers soul food and brunch favorites, while the “Good Cat” side has more modern, healthier options, Todd Price reports.
Another newcomer to a storied spot is Batture, which opened Thursday in the former location of O’Henry’s at 632 South Carrollton, according to Helen Freund of Gambit. Operated by chef Anderson West, a veteran of New Orleans and Metairie restaurants, Batture will offer a traditional New Orleans mix of Italian and Creole dishes, Freund reports.
Byblos, the expanding group of Mediterranean restaurants, will return to Magazine Street soon, as construction has begun on the former Flaming Torch site at the corner of Octavia Street, according to a report at Eater NOLA. Flaming Torch closed after a fire that was deemed a possible arson.
Finally, the New York-style Italian restaurant Altamura abruptly announced its closing Friday morning, ending a run of just less than a year at the Magnolia Mansion at 2126 Prytania. Proprietor Jack Petronella told The Advocate that Altamura had become “too much of a financial burden,” and closing will allow him to maintain focus on his other restaurant, ManhattanJack, on Prytania Street.
