Let the Good Times Roll at North Park’s Louisiana Purchase | Eater San Diego

"I felt a slice of the Big Easy arrive in North Park when Louisiana Purchase opened at the corner of University Avenue and Louisiana Street. Developed by local restaurant group Grind & Prosper Hospitality and designed by Jeff Svitak, the New Orleans vibes start in the kitchen, which is run by Louisiana transplant chef Quinnton Austin (chef Q); he spent 15 years cooking in Louisiana, trained at the Culinary Institute of New Orleans, and brings his versions of Creole and Cajun classics to the North Park menu, including sweet potato cornbread etouffee, gumbo ya ya, and a savory alligator cheesecake with crawfish cream sauce, and he says he wants to educate San Diego diners about true NOLA cuisine beyond the touristy French Quarter. The menu will change every season with weekly specials, and bar manager Rob McShea provides twists on New Orleans originals—from the Voo Doo Carre (cognac, whiskey, sweet vermouth, amaro nonino, apricot balsamic, and spiced cacao tea bitters) to a Ramos Gin Fizz variation called the Cash Money Fizz featuring cinnamon and grapefruit-infused Hendrick’s—while a fais do-do category includes their version of a Hurricane and a sharable Pablo Discobar punch served in a disco ball. Louisiana Purchase is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to midnight and will launch weekend brunch the first weekend of April." - Candice Woo