Wait, 1915 Park Ave… Isn’t that where Baileys’ Chocolate Bar used to be?
It was, indeed, until owners Dave and Kara Bailey announced (in a release and in this SLM article) that 13-year-old Baileys' Chocolate Bar would close on July 8, opening “soon after” as two different restaurants.
Sometimes, “soon after” happens pretty quickly: Friends and family gathered last night for a sneak peek of L’Acadiane, located on the ground floor of the former Chocolate Bar space.
A nose-to-the-glass photo of the interior at L'Acadiane
Dave reports that it will be several weeks before the kitchen is complete and fully functional and that more details on the opening of L’Acadiane are forthcoming.
L’Acadiane is the French term for Acadiana, the area of Southern Louisiana that became home to many French settlers after their expulsion from Acadie (Nova Scotia) in 1755. The term “Cajun” refers to people from that area as well as their cuisine, so it’s safe to assume that L’Acadiane will be serving Cajun-esque food.
Update: According to a July 18 release, the menu at L'Acadiane "will be focused on Acadiana and the surrounding region" i.e., Cajun and Creole food and beyond, and feature about 15 dishes on rotation. Starters will include smoked pork ribs with watermelon pickles and ham & hominy hushpuppies with creme fraiche; entrees such as fried chicken on cornbread waffle with house whiskey hot sauce and crab stuffed Missouri catfish with poblano grits; as well as several different po'boys, such as fried oyster, blackened fish, and fried green tomato. Drinks will be "Southern-inspired cocktails, including riffs on classics like juleps, sazeracs, gimlets, and hurricanes."
And it's hardly a stretch to convert BCB (as the Baileys call Baileys' Chocolate Bar for short) into a Cajun restaurant. The brick walls and hidden rear porch already feel like a New Orleans restaurant, to say nothing of the homes in the surrounding Lafayette Park neighborhood, dubbed "painted ladies," same as those in the Big Easy's Garden District.
The Baileys might just be the busiest restaurateurs in town. The couple plans to open the "updated and refreshed" Baileys' Chocolate Bar in Baileys' former upstairs lounge in late July. Hugo’s Pizzeria, located in the space once occupied by The Good Pie at 3135 Olive, will follow in mid-August, with L’Acadiane opening soon after that. Next year, a second location of Baileys’ Range will open in a former filling station at 4175 Shaw.
Editor's Note: This article, updated from its original version, contains concept and menu information not available at press time, as well as a revised timeline.
