food and drink

Banh Mi Boys is bringing its fast Vietnamese fare to the Garden District

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Banh Mi Boys, a fast and casual Vietnamese restaurant, is expanding and opening a location at 3244 Magazine St. The site was formerly home to Reginelli’s Pizzeria. Banh Mi Boys has developed a following since Peter Nguyen opened the Metairie favorite in 2015. Nguyen is now expanding through franchise operations, with the first on Magazine in the Garden District. 

The restaurant is known for its Vietnamese-style poor boys packed with goodies such as grilled pork, grilled chicken and grilled shrimp wedged into crispy baguettes. It also offers rice and vermicelli bowls, salads, New Orleans-style poor boys and fries.

business

Harry’s Ace Hardware to close after 63 years on Magazine Street

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The owners of Harry’s Ace Hardware, Cary Becker and Kelly and Scott Fox, announced Thursday (Dec. 2) that their iconic hardware store will close after 63 years of serving New Orleans’ do-it-yourselfers at 3535 Magazine St., and over 100 years in business in New Orleans. Harry’s Ace Hardware will close its doors in the second quarter of 2022, the company said in a press release. “We want to thank our long-term customers and our loyal employees and ensure that they have plenty of notice about this change,” Becker said. “They have been the heart and soul of Harry’s from the day we opened our doors so many years ago,”

The building at 3535 Magazine has a storied history, dating from its beginnings as a car dealership.

food and drink

Soup Garden is ready to blossom at a sno-ball stand on Magazine

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The Soup Garden, a hot pop-up born during the pandemic, will return on Thursday (Nov. 4). The months-long pop-up will operate out of the Imperial Woodpecker sno-ball stand at 3511 Magazine St. The Soup Garden first found success last year, while many people were looking for comfort food and quick take-out. The stand is the brainchild of Allison Gorlin and Tiffiny Wallace.

food and drink

Pomelo on Magazine Street offers new take on Thai

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There’s a new Thai restaurant coming to the Uptown area. Pomelo is settling into the small Magazine Street building in the Touro-Bouligny area that housed another Thai restaurant, Long Chim, which closed over the summer. 

Pomelo owners Aom Srisuk and her husband, Frankie Weinberg, are currently enjoying a soft opening and are planning a grand opening for November. 

Srisuk, a Thai native, said she is ready to take on the challenge of owning a restaurant in a food town like New Orleans and she is eager to bring authentic Thai food to the neighborhood. Srisuk is a seasoned restaurateur. She worked in her family’s restaurant before opening a Japanese restaurant and Thai restaurant in the central business district of Bangkok. She then opened restaurants in her hometown of Ayutthaya.

food and drink

Cavan Restaurant closes after five years on Magazine Street

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Acclaimed Uptown restaurant Cavan announced its closure Thursday after five years on Magazine Street. The decision came after 18 months of struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic. Robert LeBlanc⁠ of local restaurant operator LeBlanc+Smith announced the closure on social media. “In the wake of Hurricane Ida and after a prolonged period of instability in our industry, we have made the decision to close Cavan Restaurant and Bar,” he said in a statement posted on Instagram. He noted the historic building at 3607 Magazine St.

Advertiser specials

CR Coffee Shop brings vibrant Cuban coffee culture to the Big Easy *En Espanol* (sponsored)

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Inspired by the passion and flavors of Latin America, CR Coffee Shop welcomes New Orleans to experience Cuban coffee culture. The Cafesito blend has the perfect amount of bold Carribean flavors that will have you savoring every sip, available now for purchase in-store or on the website. The Colada, with its outstandingly bright and confident taste profile, is designed to be shared with people. It comes with cups to share, so that everyone in the group can experience fresh Cuban coffee. The Cuban Cold Brew is the next innovation in Latin coffee culture, boasting the most caffeine in any beverage at CR.

business

Empanola is bringing its innovative empanadas to Magazine Street

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Empanola, the spot that serves up traditional and New Orleans-inspired empanadas, is opening a new location at 3109 Magazine St. on Aug. 1. The site is the former location of novelty and gift shop Bootsy’s Fun Rock’n, which closed last summer. The Empanola location at 7321 Freret St., a neighborhood favorite since 2019, will remain Empanola’s main store, where all of the empanadas are baked.

Silver Lining Series

Silver Lining: Magazine Street fabric shop is ready for the next transition

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Chateau Sew & Sew Fabric & Sewing Studio on Magazine Street seems like an anachronism in the time when the number of people who sew (sewists as they are now called) is declining. But the folks at Chateau Sew have a plan. It was started in 2015 by the mother-daughter team of Susan Jackson, a quilter, and her daughter Karen Flournoy, who mostly made garments. When Flournoy’s son was about to start school full-time, her mother suggested that, because she loves fabrics and had made clothes for her young son, they open a shop. “In 2014, I went to work on a business plan, researching how to source fabrics.

Champagne Strolling signals the start of a Magazine Street revival

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The annual Champagne Stroll is returning to Magazine Street this Friday (May 7) through Sunday (May 9). This year it is called “Champagne Strolling” and takes place as a three-day event: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The spring 2020 Champagne Stroll was virtual, on a live interactive video feed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual component will also continue this year. 

The Magazine Street Merchants Association sponsors the event and encourages everyone to sip and shop safely. “Despite the pandemic, we are trying to maintain the traditions of our Magazine Street events,” said MSMA President Kevin Gillentine, who owns the Kevin Gillentine gallery at 3917 Magazine.

Advertiser specials

Amanda Shaw concert at CR Coffee Shop on Tuesday, May 4 (sponsored)

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Fresh coffee and live music — sign me up. Live music and artisan coffee and teas are the perfect mix to bring a new burst of energy to Uptown. Magazine Street is coming back in full force this spring, thanks to CR Coffee Shop and special guest Amanda Shaw. This festive event will be an opportunity for the community to donate to The Amanda Shaw Foundation while supporting their local cafe. 

CR Coffee Shop is pleased to announce that we will be hosting Amanda Shaw on our patio from 8 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 4, for GiveNOLA Day! This nonprofit focused event was created by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, an institution dedicated to driving positive impact through philanthropy, leadership and action in the Greater New Orleans Region.