| By ANNETTE SISCO | Staff writer |
Greetings, New Orleans food fans! This week, we congratulate longtime Galatoire's waiter John Fontenot on his retirement, as Ian McNulty looks back at a storied career. A master of sushi gets his own omakase room in a big Metairie restaurant, and Central Grocery plans its return two years after Hurricane Ida's destruction. Beth Biundo is closing her Uptown sweet shop, but another bakery will step into the location. Mondays bring barbecue teamwork to Mister Mao. Finally, Chef Kevin Belton grills on the weekend for weekday feasts of "smashcock" chicken, chipotle chicken salad and lemon orzo. 1. Did you hear the one...? John Fontenot has served his last trout amandine and delivered his last punchline, at least while clad in a waiter’s tux. At age 76, the beloved waiter has retired after 56 years at Galatoire’s. But before we say farewell, here's one more joke. 2. OMG, that omakase! Seiji’s Omakase inside the Little Tokyo Japanese restaurant on Causeway Boulevard in Metairie is setting a high bar for the idea of omakase and sushi in general in the New Orleans area. Join Ian McNulty at the curving counter. 3. Wait! There's more. Badly damaged in 2021's Hurricane Ida, the legendary Italian food emporium Central Grocery is planning its return. Uptown is losing a neighborhood bakery: See what's next. And find barbecue collaborations on Mondays at Mister Mao. 4. King of the grill. At Chef Kevin Belton's house, the backyard grill is key to meals that satisfy all week. Check out Chef's easy, make-ahead recipes for smashcock chicken, lemon orzo salad and chicken chipotle salad. That's it for the food newsletter, but in New Orleans, the food news never stops. Keep up with all the inside info at Where NOLA Eats. P.S.: Want to support local journalism that matters? Subscribe here. It's our best deal! | 