In the November–December 2005 issue, famed New Orleans restaurateur Dickie Brennan and his family give Coastal Living readers a glimpse of a typical holiday celebration at their vacation home in Kiln, Mississippi. At press time, Hurricane Katrina had just slammed into the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts, causing devastation in New Orleans. Fortunately, the Brennan family was secure in a safe location. Here, Dickie Brennan offers a first-person account of the efforts to reopen his New Orleans restaurants.“On Wednesday, October 5, six weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit, our employees rallied together and successfully reopened Bourbon House. We initially thought that it could be many months, maybe even up to a year, before we could get back in and reopen even one of our three restaurants.
“I’m proud that Bourbon House was on the forefront of restaurants reopening and restoring local flavor to the city. From the beginning, Bourbon House guests ate well. Even with an abbreviated ‘Post Katrina’ menu, chef Jared Tees created seven appetizers and salads, 13 entrée choices, and four desserts. We didn’t want to serve the easy stuff like hamburgers and chicken fingers. We wanted to bring back the cuisine of New Orleans. So we all worked together to offer our guests a menu of which we would be proud. Bourbon House guests enjoyed Crab Fingers Bordelaise, Soft Shell Crab Po-boys, Shrimp Chippewa, Gulf Fish Pecan, Tournedos with Wild Mushrooms and Grits, Bread Pudding, and more.
“Chef Jared Tees has done a heck of a job sourcing the great products that end up on the plate at Bourbon House. Our relationship with local farmers and fishermen has proven especially helpful in these difficult times.
“Getting Bourbon House ready for service was an incredibly challenging effort. It was an especially hard task since we had no water service. A few days after reopening, the city declared that water was again potable. Even so, food was still served for the first two weeks on plastic plates. Drinks were in plastic cups, and plastic utensils were provided shrink-wrapped with a napkin enclosed. While the water was safe for [cooking and cleaning], Bourbon House was short-staffed. Managers worked alongside employees to help the kitchen, set the restaurant, and wait on guests. Much-needed [support staff] had not yet returned to work.
“At the start of the third week of business, we restored a full menu and service with china and silver. It’s unlikely that Bourbon House guests will find this dining experience to be different than before Hurricane Katrina struck. Guests range from a lot of locals to hurricane-relief workers, writers and reporters, and surprisingly, already a few visitors.
“Many employees lost everything in the hurricane, and like most employers, Steve and I continue to have difficulty locating habitable housing for those who want to return to work. Of course, we’re fortunate to be able to restore local flavor to New Orleans, but what’s more important is to be able to restore the lives of the many employees who work in our three restaurants. Putting our employee-family back to work helps them gain control over one more aspect of their lives. And in the process, they have the opportunity to do what they enjoy most, which is serving others.
“In regards to our other restaurants, Palace Café suffered some damage, and Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse is being repaired due to extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina. Reopening dates for Palace Café and Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse will be announced later. Until then, we’ll focus on taking care of each other. Since we’re just operating one restaurant, we’ve set up an employee team that focuses on helping one another rebuild and restore our homes and lives.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate. My family fared pretty well. My wife is with my kids in Baton Rouge at her folks’. Their schools aren’t yet open. Of course, I miss them. I’m glad that they’re near. My parents are living with my sister Lauren and her family until they can get back into their St. Charles Avenue condominium. My partner and best friend, Steve Pettus, and his family are living in an apartment in Jefferson Parish until they can have extensive repairs made to their New Orleans home. Thankfully, Steve’s kids are back in their old schools.
“Since this hurricane, each day has been challenging, and—more recently—brighter than the one before. The team effort continues at Bourbon House. It’s staffed with our Bourbon House, Palace Café, and Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse employees.
“Thankfully, the French Quarter was largely spared hurricane damage. Our most historic treasures remain intact.”
