H
istory speaks from the
memorabilia-strewn walls of
Antoine’s Restaurant in New
Orleans, the oldest familyrun restaurant in the United
States. They tell extraordinary tales
from the past 175 years. Countless
celebrities have dined at the tables;
these include U.S. presidents, the
Pope, General Patton, Al Capone,
Elizabeth Taylor, the Duke and
Duchess of Windsor and numerous
Hollywood heavyweights.
I recently had the opportunity to
meet Rick Blount, the CEO and fifth
generation relative of the original
founder, Antoine Alciatore. He
shared some of the stories behind
the world-renowned establishment,
famous for its French-Creole cuisine
(originally the menu was only in
French), impeccable service and
unique atmosphere.
In 1840, 18-year old Antoine
Alciatore moved to St. Louis Street
in New Orleans, just one block from
the spot the current location. He
felt at home in the French-speaking
city of extravagances. After a brief
period in the kitchen of the St.
Charles Hotel, Antoine opened a
58
pension, a boarding house
and restaurant.
He made arrangements for his
fiancée to join him from New York.
She came with her sister and she and
Antoine were married. Together they
worked to build up their pension
with an emphasis on food. It soon
outgrew its small quarters and
Antoine’s moved down the block
and eventually, in 1868, to the
spot on St. Louis Street where
the restaurant stands today.
In 1874, Antoine became ill and left
the management of the restaurant
in his wife’s hands. After Antoine’s
death, his son Jules served as
apprentice under his mother’s
tutelage for six years before she
sent him to France for classical
training in the great kitchens of
Paris, Strassburg and Marseilles.
He returned and became chef of
the famous Pickwick Club in 1887
before his mother summoned him
to head the house of Antoine.
He was a genius in the kitchen and
invented Baked Alaska; Cafe Brulot,
a flamed coffee concoction with
orange liqueur, cinnamon, sugar,
clove and lemon peel; and Oysters
Rockefeller, so named for the
richness of the sauce. The oysters
remain one of the great culinary
creations of all time, but the
recipe remains a family secret.
Jules married Althea Roy, daughter
of a wealthy planter in southwest
Louisiana. Jules and Althea had
three children: Roy, Jules and Mary
Louise. Roy followed in his father’s
footsteps and headed the restaurant
for almost 40 years until his death
in 1972. He is credited with making
Antoine’s “the place to see and
be seen.”
In 1975, Roy’s son, Roy Jr., became
proprietor and served until 1984.
He was followed by William’s son,
Bernard “Randy” Guste who managed
Antoine’s until 2004. In 2005, Rick
Blount, Roy Alciatore’s grandson,
became current proprietor and CEO.
Like the long line of the Alciatore
family members and descendants,
Rick guided Antoine’s through
difficult times — his and the city’s
misfortune: Hurricane Katrina. The
wind was the main culprit and caused
$14 million worth of damage to the
building. The main four-story
building collapsed, the top two
floors of the building blew off,
and the falling bricks crushed
the adjacent building.
Blount never left, he set up
equipment on the street, and he and
his returning kitchen staff cooked
for first responders and construction
workers. He started rebuilding as
soon as he could, primarily because
he wanted to hire back some
members of the dining and kitchen
staff as laborers, as a way to keep
their cash and benefits flowing.
Antoine’s reopened Dec. 31, 2005,
about four months after Katrina
emptied it out.
Antoine’s includes 14 dining rooms.
The front entrance opens into the
Main Dining Room, which was
actually the original restaurant.
Inside that room and to the left is
the largest dining room, The Annex.
A series of small dining rooms are
entered from The Annex toward the
Bourbon Street side: The 1840 Room,
The Proteus Room and The Escargot
Room. Directly behind The Annex and
across a hall from The Proteus Room
is The Rex Room.