NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Today, Pythian Market announced its newest vendor, Willie Mae’s Scotch House, which will be opening a location in the food hall in mid-August. Pythian Market, an urban food hall located in the Central Business District, provides a unique dining and shopping experience for locals and visitors with 14 locally sourced purveyors, craft cocktails and retail vendors.
“We’re excited to announce the addition of Willie Mae’s Scotch House to our list of high-quality, established local food vendors,” said Lisa Brefere, managing partner of Pythian Market. “Our food hall showcases a variety of cuisines representing the many cultures in New Orleans and Willie Mae’s was a natural fit as it’s recognized as one of the best places in town for fried chicken.”
Willie Mae Seaton started serving her famous fried chicken over 30 years ago and it quickly became a local and international favorite. In 2005, Seaton was honored with the prestigious James Beard Award for “America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region” which in turn brought recognition from the Food Network and the Travel Channel as “America’s Best Fried Chicken.” Today, Seaton’s great-granddaughter, Kerry Seaton Stewart, continues to run the operation in the historic Tremé neighborhood.
“We look forward to opening another location in downtown New Orleans,” said Kerry Seaton Stewart, owner of Willie Mae’s Scotch House. “We are thrilled that our famous fried chicken will now be served in the Pythian building, which is as rich in history as the Tremé neighborhood.”
The Pythian building and the Tremé neighborhood both played integral roles in New Orleans’ history. The Tremé neighborhood is considered the oldest African-American neighborhood in America and is known as the first in which free persons of color were able to own property during slavery. The Pythian building, developed in 1908 by former slave Smith W. Green, is recognized as an iconic hub for the African American business community during the early civil rights movement.
Today, the full list of Pythian Market vendors includes: 14 Parishes, Bar 1908, Dirty South Sammich Co., Eat Well, Edison’s Espresso and Tea Bar, Fete au Fete, Frencheeze, Kais, La Cocinita, Little Fig, Meribo Pizza, Squeezed, and soon to come Willie Mae’s Scotch House.
