Six high-profile Uptown restaurants announced closures in May

A half dozen generally acclaimed restaurants in Uptown neighborhoods from the Lower Garden District to Central City to Carrollton — Noodle & Pie, Primitivo, Mat & Naddie’s, The Irish House, Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar and Three Muses on Maple– announced that they would close during the month of May.

Noodle & Pie on Magazine Street in Audubon Park was the first of the five to announce it would close in early May, with its last day on May 14.

“This chapter of noodle & pie has come to a regretful end at State & Magazine,” the restaurant posted. “Thank you to our neighbors who supported us and ramen loving customers from across the city,state & elsewhere.”

Primitivo, an open-hearth restaurant on O.C. Haley Boulevard from acclaimed chef Adolfo Garcia, announced its last day would be May 20. The restaurant wasn’t working out financially, and O.C. Haley still needs to develop further, Garcia told Todd Price of The Times-Picayune: “The real estate has to move more to retail and get more foot traffic down there.”

Mat & Naddie’s in the Riverbend closed May 23, after operating since 1994, reported Ian McNulty of The New Orleans Advocate. The owner declined to discuss his decision with McNulty.

Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar in the Irish Channel said May 28 that they had hoped to remain open and move locations, but instead had to close their doors.

“Since announcing that the building has been sold and that we plan to move, you blessed us with a surge of business. But now, we have neither the food nor staff to remain open,” Charcoal’s posted on Facebook. “Rather than offer you an experience that is not up to our standards, we have made the difficult decision to close effective immediately. We thank all of you, and of course our crew, for the support.”

On May 31, the Maple Street expansion of Frenchmen Street hotspot Three Muses abruptly closed, McNulty reported in The Advocate. “Business wasn’t strong enough to get us through the summer,” chef Dan Esses told McNulty.

Also May 31, the Irish House a Facebook announcement that their St. Charles Avenue restaurant would also be closing.

“We cherish the relationships that were built over a pint, a meal or a song. We wish the best to our guests, employees, friends and family,” the restaurant posted. “The building and business are for sale. If someone purchases it, we hope that they will continue the warm and welcome Irish hospitality that The Irish House has been known for.”