Louisiana Purchase
Cajun restaurant · San Diego ·
Seasonal dishes & cocktails served in a glamorous setting
Seasonal dishes & cocktails served in a glamorous setting
"Big summer energy radiates from Louisiana Purchase’s bar, run by beverage director Rob McShea. Gear up with cocktails like the G-Thing, a tumbler of guava-infused mezcal, lime, and soda. A lineup of Nola-style frozen margaritas includes the Coco with tequila, lime, and coconut cream or the Drive Through with tequila rose, watermelon, lime, and agave. Can’t choose? Order a hurricane glass swirled with both." - Kelly Bone, Candice Woo
"This North Park soul food restaurant will be preparing Thanksgiving Holiday Packs for pick up on November 22nd. Customers can choose options like stuffed turkey legs with crawfish, yams with or without marshmallows, and collard greens." - Helen I. Hwang
"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
"Set to open on University Avenue in January 2019, the Louisiana Purchase will occupy the ground floor of The Louisiana building and is being developed by Grind & Prosper Hospitality, the group behind Miss B’s Coconut Club, Carlsbad’s Park 101 and the upcoming WhipHand American Brasserie + Beer Bank. Designed to blend multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, it will include a courtyard and a wrap-around patio and will serve dinner from 4 p.m. to midnight with weekend brunch starting at 11 a.m. Its Big Easy–inspired menu will be overseen by Grind & Prosper culinary director Quinnton Austin, aka Chef Q, an alum of the Culinary Institute of New Orleans, and will feature dishes such as barbecue shrimp with sweet potato cornbread and a savory alligator cheesecake with crawfish cream sauce. Grind & Prosper partner and bar manager Rob McShea is designing cocktails ranging from Southern classics like the Sazerac and Ramos Gin Fizz to over-the-top party drinks fit for Bourbon Street." - Candice Woo
"Set to open in September/October on the stretch of University Avenue that connects Hillcrest and North Park, Louisiana Purchase aims to bring New Orleans–inspired food and cocktails to the ground floor of The Louisiana, a recently renovated residential building. Developed by Pete Cich and Robert McShea of Grind and Prosper Hospitality, the space will include various indoor and outdoor seating areas and courtyards, a large central bar, and an exhibition kitchen behind glass. The Southern-focused menu highlights chorizo-stuffed beignets, Cheasapeake blue crab mac and cheese, and a braised lamb shank with dirty rice, braised greens, and candied figs, while beverage director McShea is planning interpretations of Big Easy classics—from a Vieux Carré and Ramos Gin Fizz to a Sazerac made with duck fat–washed rye—as well as Bourbon Street party drinks like a Hurricane served in a vintage 80s thermos with Pop Rocks." - Candice Woo
