Photo courtesy of Tujague's.
Dinner at Tujague's is a 170-year-old tradition in New Orleans.
Before the American Civil War, when women and African Americans still could not vote and no one had yet heard the sounds of jazz—before even Mardi Gras had become a public spectacle—diners were enjoying shrimp remoulade at Tujague’s.
The legacy dining institution in New Orleans, founded in 1856 by French immigrants Guillaume and Marie Abadie Tujague, is celebrating its 170th anniversary this year—making it one of the longest-running restaurants of its kind in the United States. With a menu that emphasizes the magic of culinary preservation, the restaurant has thrived as a monument to traditional French Creole cuisine, continuing to serve almost-two-hundred-year-old classics like Creole Cream Cheese Pie and Butcher’s Breakfast (a precursor to the meal we now know as “brunch”).
[Read this story about the 2013 revival of Tujague's : "Déja Vu on Decateur Street" ]
In honor of the anniversary, this spring the restaurant will highlight one historic dish each month as part of a larger storytelling initiative—beginning in March with Chicken Bonne Femme. In April, the dish will be Seafood Stuffed Mirliton with Creole Sauce, and in May, Crawfish Bisque à la Bégué. Guests will also have the opportunity to experience the menu as it was originally presented, in the Table d’Hôte structure served at Tujagues from 1856–2013. The five-course experience begins with a shrimp remoulade and ends with bread pudding, and will be priced at $32 per person, plus the cost of the selected entrée.
Reservations can be made at tujaguesrestaurant.com or (504) 525-8676.
