A First Look at Junebug in New Orleans | Eater New Orleans

"It opens on Thursday, March 20, in a 10,000-square-foot building at 744 Camp Street in the Warehouse District, and the space even features two turntables behind the long, spacious bar. The site is a seminal link to the New Orleans R&B and funk sound: between 1967 and 1978 this was the headquarters of legendary producer Cosimo Matassa’s recording studio, where Allen Toussaint recorded hundreds of songs and the Meters coalesced and recorded groundbreaking funk hits like “Cissy Strut,” with its distinctive opening bass line by George Porter Jr. “This is a legacy we want to honor,” said partner Greg Engert, a D.C. beer legend and James Beard Award semifinalist, who developed the project along with the restaurant group’s founding partner Michael Babin. “We have a 600-album collection that will be in rotation. The idea is to set the bar to the soundtrack of New Orleans funk and pay homage to the building’s musical legacy. It’s a concept that beautifully unites the space.” The 3,500-square-foot event area carved from the side that used to be a parking lot shares space with Secret Spot, a flower shop from local florist Tey Stiteler, and will double as an entrance and event bar after hours; a line of skylights bathes the space in natural light by day and invites starlight in at night. Design details include a bar room framed by four arches hand painted with 128 rosettes, a constellation of 10 lights from lighting artist Rick Singleton fashioned from Victrola trumpets and wall sconces made from cymbals, Olga Mulica’s dramatic Night Pelican mural and floral wallpaper from Harney and Sons, a patina of old brick, and a lushly landscaped 2,000-square-foot patio with stands of bamboo and views of the nearby St. Patrick’s church bell tower. Executive chef and pitmaster Shannon Bingham (who opened Brewery Saint X and Devil Moon Barbecue for the group) leads a menu with Southern and French accents that includes small plates like croquettes monsieur (a crispy ham-and-cheese take on the bistro sandwich), candied pecan pimento cheese and crackers, tuna crudo with sweet potato vinaigrette, and hot fried oyster with celeriac remoulade; larger dishes include braised housemade duck and bacon sausage meatballs, pan-roasted Gulf catch of the day, and cornbread gnocchi with a lamb ragu laced with fresh mint. Desserts include orgeat panna cotta with satsuma granita and an apple crumble paired with cheddar ice cream, and there is a $60 “feed me” menu plus late-night service with the entire menu served until closing for hospitality workers and night owls. Bar manager and assistant general manager Sophie Burton (most recently of Bar Tonique and Holy Diver, and previously involved in opening Jojo’s Beloved Cocktail Lounge) is offering classic and house cocktails with a section presented two ways—full-strength and lower ABV—while the program will specialize in eau de vie and fruit brandies served in cocktails or on the rocks; partner Greg Engert also promises about a dozen beers on draft plus bottles he says will be new to New Orleans. Weekday happy hour runs 4 to 6 p.m.; regular hours are Sunday and Tuesday–Thursday 4–11 p.m., Friday–Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and closed Mondays." - Beth D’Addono