Image from Katie's
As much as I hate to acknowledge it, for a long time life experiences for me weren’t placed by months, days or years, but either “before the storm” or “since the storm.” Now more than five years after Katrina the amazing progress of the city has all but obliterated this type of thinking for me. It’s not that I’ve forgotten Katrina and what has happened, but just that my life is as good as or, in most instances, better than before Katrina. In some respects, it’s like nothing ever happened. Business as usual if you will.
Katie's bar, image from Katie's
New Orleans is well-known around the world for its phenomenal seafood, stellar cuisine and unparalleled restaurants. But the true heart of the New Orleans restaurant scene, at least to locals, is that restaurant around the corner–the neighborhood spot. Fortunate to live near the Mid-City epicenter of the intersection of Carrollton and Canal, I have a plethora of restaurants that could serve as my neighborhood spot but one in particular reigns supreme for me: Katie’s Restaurant and Bar. An almost weekly meal for me before the storm, Mid-City living was not the same without Katie’s presence.
Faced with many of the issues we all endured following Hurricane Katrina, Katie’s exemplified the perseverance, will and determination to rebuild that New Orleanians are now famous for. With Katie’s re-opening on March 10, 2010, my Mid-City life was finally back to normal. Boasting a revamped menu and more sophisticated kitchen, Katie’s looked to make up for lost time in a big way.
With its vastly varied menu, Katie’s is the perfect place to go when you aren’t quite sure what you want. Pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, steaks and so on, Katie’s offers it all. Can’t make up your mind off the menu? Katie’s runs a handful of daily specials that are sure to tempt you. Our favorites are the cochon de lait sandwich, the Boudreaux pizza, Huling’s Chicken Club and the onion rings. Katie’s offers something for every mood, and we’re always happy on the walk home.
Image from Katie's
Almost as great as the food is the fantastic neighborhood feel to Katie’s. Not a visit goes by that I don’t see someone from the down the block, a friend I haven’t seen in ages or someone I know simply from our shared devotion to Katie’s. Not quite from around here? Have no fear, Scott Craig will find his way to your table by the end of the night. Eager to ensure you’ve had a great experience, Scott reminds me of my grandmother. Clearly subscribing to the theory that good food is the base of great life, Scott wants to ensure that the meal was just to your liking. This isn’t mere lip service like you’d find at most places, but an intense desire to ensure Katie’s is back to business as usual, feeding and satisfying its neighbors and visitors.
While Katie’s may be a Mid-City local’s spot, it’s an easy place to reach if you’re staying downtown or in the Quarter. Simply hop on the red streetcar heading towards the lake and jump off in the Cortez-Telemachus-Genois area. And don’t worry, if one of us doesn’t welcome you to the area, Scott will be there to make you feel like you’re right at home.
See you at Katie’s!
3701 Iberville
New Orleans, LA
(504)488-6582
Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday Brunch 9:00am – 3:00pm
For more fun with food and drink in Mid-City, come join us Just Off the Red Streetcar Line.
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