BY ANNETTE SISCO | STAFF WRITER Happy Thursday, New Orleans food lovers. This week we say farewell to a beloved local institution, as owners make the tough decision not to reopen Upperline. Donald Link gives us a peek at his new restaurant in the Four Seasons — and its extraordinary menu. Egg Roll house gets cracking again in Metairie, and some "parklets" for outdoor dining will become permanent. And there's more! Let's dig in... 1. Elegy for Upperline. Closed since the pandemic began, Upperline will not reopen, its owner JoAnn Clevenger has decided. In an exclusive interview with Ian McNulty, the renowned hostess talks about why it's time, and reflects on nearly 40 years at the restaurant that catered first and foremost to locals. Read the story here. 2. The path to luxury? Donald Link's new restaurant in the Four Seasons, at the foot of Canal Street, is called Chemin à la Mer, French for path to the sea. A list of menu items like Ora King salmon and an A5 Kobe strip steak announce luxury, but the kitchen will go further, mixing vintage Creole, modern French and a dash of the islands. We give you a sneak peek here. 3. Wait! There's more. Egg Roll house is back, to the relief of many fans of this enduring Metairie throwback. Breakfast joint Wakin' Bakin' cooks up a new French Quarter restaurant. New Orleans will make outdoor pandemic parklets permanent, and a cookie chain called Crumbl prepares to open. 4. By the book! Tony Mandina's daughter Kolette Mandina-Ditta worked with food writer Poppy Tooker to write a cookbook from the family restaurant's files as Tony Mandina's celebrates its 40th year in business. Food writer Judy Walker talked to Kolette and shares with us the famous, and very doable, recipes for almond cookies, redfish Alia and creamy artichoke soup. 5. And on the hook. A member of our Where NOLA Eats Facebook community has visitors in town, and they're looking for great catfish. Check out the dozens and dozens of suggestions, and chime in here. That's it for the food newsletter, but in New Orleans the food news never stops. For more, visit us at NOLA.com. Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading! --AS P.S. Want to support our award-winning coverage? We have an amazing online subscription deal for you. Click here for more info. | 
