Antoine's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antoine's is a Louisiana Creole cuisine restaurant located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It has the distinction of being the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States, having been established in 1840 by Antoine Alciatore. A New Orleans institution, it is notable for being the "inventor" of several famous dishes, such as Oysters Rockefeller, Pompano en Papillote, and Pigeonneaux Paradis. It has also known for its VIP patrons (including several U.S. presidents and Pope John Paul II). Antoine's features a 25,000 bottle capacity wine cellar and 15 dining rooms of varying sizes and themes, with several featuring Mardi Gras krewe memorabilia. The lengthy menu (originally only in French, now in French and English) features classic French-Creole dishes. It remains a favorite of both visitors and a loyal local clientele.
[edit] Appearance in the film JFK
Antoine's was used for the filming of two sequences in Oliver Stone's 1991 movie, JFK. The first, which is quite brief, shows the Garrison family waiting for their father in the mirrored Main Dining Room. In the second, which lasts several minutes, Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner) has lunch with his staff in the Large Annex Room. At the beginning of the segment, Costner is greeted by the real maitre d', Henri Alciatore, a direct descendant of the founder of Antoine's.
[edit] Katrina
The French Quarter was fortunately above the flooding which devastated the majority of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (see: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans), but Antoine's suffered from the hurricane winds which damaged part of the roof and knocked down a section of exterior wall. The extensive contents of Antoine's wine cellar were also lost due to a failure in the climate-control system; as of June 2006, the cellar is slowly being replenished, $10,000 per week being devoted to new purchases. The restaurant was able to reopen in early 2006, although a number of rooms are still closed off while they undergo repairs. Only the first floor is open for customers.
Currently the Large Annex, Rex Room, Proteus Room, Escargot Room, Mystery Room, Hermes Room, the Last Room and the 1840 Room are available for dining.
