Also: Chef Sean Rivera takes over City Pork Deli and Charcuterie
The second location of a popular Capital City eatery is now open. City Pork Brasserie and Bar opened its doors this week at 7327 Jefferson Highway in the former location of Dempsey’s. Co-owner Chase Lyons says the restaurant and bar is still in “soft opening mode, taking reservations for family and friends and working out the kinks.” However, Lyons added that the business is “definitely accepting walk-ins.”
Ryan André, the former chef at Le Creole, is the executive chef at City Pork Brasserie and Bar, and he’s bringing flavors from around the globe. The menu features three sandwiches familiar to fans of the Perkins Road overpass area’s City Pork Deli and Charcuterie—The Big Pig, The Cuban and the Brisket. The rest of the menu features appetizers, entrées and salads, ranging in price from $9-$20.
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Lyons says some of highlights include shrimp and boudin, the restaurant’s take on shrimp and grits, and André’s house-smoked meatball with homemade pasta and tomato ragu. Another sandwich that has been getting buzz on social media is a cheek pastrami sandwich with emanthaler cheese and mornay sauce.
“Basically, Ryan is taking our concept and what we do with smoked meat and scratch-made food and putting his own twist on it,” Lyons says. “He’s using Louisiana ingredients—everything from fish to oysters, shrimp, duck and rabbit—and applying this fusion of flavors to them.”
The new Brasserie and Bar will be open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. A grand opening date will be set in the coming weeks.
Back at the Perkins Road location, chef Sean Rivera has taken over the kitchen. Rivera has previously worked at restaurants such as the now-defunct Niche, The Little Village and Bistro Byronz. He has replaced Chef Troy Deano, who left amicably, according to Lyons.
“[Deano] is a phenomenal chef, and I enjoyed working with him,” Lyons says. “It was in both parties’ best interest, and I certainly wish him the best moving forward. Sean [Rivera] had an interest coming on board. Sean and Ryan have similar backgrounds, and they’ve worked with each other. We think that pair is going to be the pair to move City Pork forward in Baton Rouge.”
Lyons says Rivera will bring more unique specials to the original City Pork and might add things to the menu in the future, but the Perkins Road restaurant will always have its signature sandwiches and salads.
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“We’re not going to steer far away from what got us this far,” Lyons says.
Rivera says he and André will also work closely to boost both restaurants’ social media presence. Impressively, the chefs have more than 60,000 followers on Twitter combined.
For more information on City Pork, visit its Facebook page.