
Seven-time James Beard Foundation Award-nominated chef/owner Michael Stoltzfus, along with chef de cuisine Bret Macris, have opened Wild South in the Lower Garden District. The new restaurant offers a south Louisiana tasting experience that reimagines the food traditions of the region, showcasing some of Stoltzfus’s favorite Louisiana products (think cane syrup and andouille, plus seasonal ingredients from across the South). In addition to the six-course blind tasting menu experience, Wild South offers a three-course prix-fixe menu and an à la carte bar menu. 1245 Constance St. 504-655-1338, wildsouthrestaurant.com

Made for Mom
Ayu Bakehouse co-owners Kelly Jacques and Samantha Weiss are hosting a hands-on Mother’s Day baking class May 11 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. During the class, attendees will use croissant dough to fill and shape a variety of sweet and savory pastries. Jacques and Weiss also will teach how to proof and bake the treats the next morning for a perfect Mother’s Day spread. Attendees also will laminate their own croissant dough to freeze and take home for future baking. 801 Frenchmen St., 504-302-7985, ayubakehouse.com
Ooh La La!
Commander’s Palace has opened Le Petit Bleu adjacent to the iconic restaurant in the Lower Garden District. Co-proprietors Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan found inspiration for the crêperie, café and marché through their travels to Paris with Ella Brennan (the famed matriarch of the Commander’s family of restaurants). In addition to its own signature cuisine, Le Petit Bleu offers favorite dishes from Commander’s Palace, plus a full coffee bar, cocktails, wine and gifts. Anurag Nema, principal of Nema Workshop – who also designed Commander’s Palace’s recently renovated Patio Room – modeled the café after traditional Parisian crêperies while paying homage to Commander’s Palace’s iconic design. 1427 Washington Ave., 504-207-1343, commanderspalace.com

Seafood Season
Porgy’s Seafood Market, which opened last December in Mid-City, is launching special orders (dubbed Dockside at Porgy’s) this month. The new offering allows customers to order specific items – such as sacks of oysters for roasts, shrimp or crawfish for boils and different varieties of locally caught Gulf fish – with the ease of a chef. Orders will be filled within 24 hours, with pickup available at the market’s rear Bienville dock. 236 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-429-3474, porgysseafood.com
Tunes & Tibbles
Bayou Bar, which hosts live performances five nights per week on the ground floor of the Pontchartrain Hotel, recently revamped the space with a Steinway baby grand piano, new sound and lighting systems, and new menu items for spring. Latest dishes include house-smoked sausage, hot honey wings, rabbit sauce piquante and a fried catfish sandwich. 2031 St. Charles Ave., 504-323-1456, bayoubarneworleans.com
Youth-Focused Hospitality
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen at Café Hope has opened in Gretna with a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, catering facility, restaurant and bar, classroom, computer lab and event venue. At Cafe Hope, young adults enrolled in the program learn cooking and hospitality skills – all while making meals for the restaurant’s guests. ELF received naming rights after awarding Cafe Hope with a $225,000 grant in 2022. 1 Timberlane Drive, 504-309-2065, cafehope.org

A Warm Welcome
Chef Nina Compton and her husband/business partner Larry Miller have rebranded Bywater American Bistro as BABs with new menu items and an aesthetic overhaul. BABs features a rustic ambiance and coastal Italian cuisine such as burrata with marinated tomatoes, sopressata and grilled bread; arancini with paddlefish caviar; wagyu beef lasagna with fontina fonduta; branzino with puttanesca and soft herbs; and eggplant parmesan with garlic breadcrumbs and basil. Be sure to stay for dessert and try the olive oil cake with whipped mascarpone and Louisiana citrus. A newly-added wine cellar houses the restaurant’s award-winning list of Old and New World wines. 2900 Chartres St., 504-605-3827, bywateramericanbistro.com