At Antoine’s, the oldest restaurant in New Orleans, nearly every nook and corner tells a story. There are rooms upon rooms, decorated with paraphernalia and photos that beg for an explanation. The Dungeon Room, at one point in history before the restaurant’s founding in 1840, held prisoners during a period when the Louisiana Territory was under Spanish rule. The Mystery Room is so named because during the Prohibition era, patrons would be served a “mystery” cup of booze in a coffee cup. The room was only accessible through a secret door in the women’s restroom. In four rooms named after Mardi Gras “krewes”—social clubs that organize the grand parade in New Orleans—kings and queens are crowned on the eve of the big event. And, fittingly for a city that prides itself on its cuisine, there’s a food club called the Escargot Society that still regularly hosts its meetings in a dedicated section of the restaurant.
Antoine Alciatore worked as a sous chef in some of France’s most beautiful hotels. When he came to New Orleans and decided to open a “pensionne”—a type of inn that provided meals and lodging to travelers—Alciatore applied the same cooking techniques to the local bounty.
