Spring Happenings at Ayu, Porgy’s, Saba, Saint-Germain, Wild South and more

Photo: Kat Kimball

With springtime and festival season here, here's a round up, from new openings to culinary classes to special dining opportunities:

Holidays & New This Spring

• Porgy’s Seafood Market is launching Dockside at Porgy’s, where customers can special-order specific items—sacks of oysters for roasts, shrimp or crawfish for boils, or specific varieties of local Gulf caught fish—with the same ease that a chef might. Orders can be placed in person at Porgy’s, over the phone, and online. Pick-up is available at the Bienville dock out back for increased accessibility. 
• Saba will offer its Seder Plate during Passover (April 22-30), featuring sephardic charoset, house-made red horseradish, beet-cured hard-boiled eggs, bitter greens with sumac onions and lemon-garlic vinaigrette, parsley and quinoa tabbouleh, and lamb ribs with date molasses. Also available for the holiday: Matzo Ball Soup with slow-cooked duck and Flourless Chocolate Cake with raspberry and almond praline for dessert. 
• Saint-Germain is now open on Mondays! The 12-seat intimate tasting menu restaurant makes use of locally available produce, and a new season means new ingredients for their team to experiment with in the kitchen. 
• Wild South, Michael Stoltzfus’ newest restaurant, opened last month with a five-course tasting experience that changes every week. Now, they’ve introduced an à la carte bar menu as well as a “nightcap corner” (think: amaro library!), with a more casual three-course prix-fixe menu coming soon. 

Classes & Dinners

• Ayu will lead its first baking class on Saturday, May 11—perfect timing to bake up some treats ahead of Mother's Day. The class will focus on croissant dough and the many things you can make with it. Space is extremely limited and tickets ($150/adult; $50/child) are available HERE.
• Josephine Estelle’s Chef Trey Williams continues his popular pasta-making classes with classes slated for April 20 and May 11. Tickets ($80) are available HERE (April 20) and HERE (May 11). Additionally, the restaurant hosts Jazz Brunch every Sunday with a live band playing from 10am-1pm.
• Porgy’s just launched its Fest Dinner Series, coinciding with French Quarter Fest (April 12-14) and Jazz Fest (April 29-May 2). Expect a four-course dinner party featuring fresh seafood preparations and an array of former favorites from Marjie’s Grill. Tickets ($100) include food, gratuity, and a welcome cocktail and are available HERE.

Outdoor Dining

• Alto, Ace Hotel New Orleans’ poolside rooftop garden and grill, features eclectic, seasonally inspired cocktails and panoramic city views. 
• Cane & Table is steeped in French Quarter charm, featuring an enclosed outdoor courtyard perfect for enjoying reimagined cocktail classics like the Hurricane & Table, lighter Frozen Piña Colada, and more. Most recently featured in the New York Times’ “The 25 Best Restaurants in New Orleans Right Now,” the menu features robust flavor profiles and new combinations found in Caribbean, Cuban, and Creole cuisines. 
• Cure’s beautiful enclosed outdoor courtyard is the place to enjoy the classic cocktail bar’s newly expanded happy hour (Friday-Saturday: 3-6pm; Sunday-Thursday: 4-6pm + 9:30-11pm) and new “Monday Markdowns,” which feature a baller pour for one bottle or up to 25 single pours max. The lineup rotates through super special, premium bottles and ranges from Thomas Handy Rye to Weller 12-Year Bourbon, Jefferson’s Tropical Aged Bourbon, Four Roses LA Private Selection OBSV Bourbon, and Old Carter American Whiskey Batch 12, to name a few.
• Miss River is Alon Shaya's “love letter to Louisiana” and spring is a dreamy time to enjoy its serene outdoor patio for spirited takes on beloved local dishes including Whole Carved Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Redfish Courtbouillon. 
• Seaworthy’s courtyard is a well-kept secret, tucked behind the historic Creole cottage. Visit for wild-caught and sustainably sourced oysters and seafare from all three American coasts or tuck away for happy hour (4-6pm everyday) and late-night happy hour (Sunday-Thursday: 10-11pm; Friday-Saturday: 10pm-12am).