Fleur de Lis, anchovies an option
With construction costs contained, the Baton Rouge iconic restaurant will return in fall, funky fish a standard.
Why it matters: One of Baton Rouge’s most beloved old rooms is on track to return by fall, bringing back the rectangular pizzas, the cocktails and the peculiar charm that made Fleur de Lis feel like nowhere else.
The latest: Construction paused a few weeks ago after projected renovation costs climbed past $2 million. But partner Andy Batson says a new contractor found a way to work with more of the existing building and bring the cost down enough to get the project moving again.
Construction restarts this month, with an opening planned for fall, just as football season gets going.
The details: The restaurant is being expanded to about 2,600 square feet, with a new kitchen and new bathrooms. What is not changing is the feel of the place.
“It will look just like it did when you walked in before,” Batson says. “It’s still going to be a funky restaurant that serves cocktails and pizza.”
Who’s behind it: Restaurateur Ozzie Fernandez and attorney Gordon McKernan are partners in the revival, along with Batson. Fernandez and McKernan already have a track record through Rocca, Lit Pizza, Modesto and Court and Table.
Yes, the pizza matters: Fernandez has been leading the work to recreate the original Fleur de Lis pies using recipes that came with the $1.1 million purchase of the restaurant. He told RedEye that he tracked down ingredients through old invoices and brought in loyal customers to taste-test the results.
And the attitude: The original Fleur de Lis was famous for service that could be off-putting. People still tell stories about the manager running people off for cursing. Batson joked that some of that sharp-edged spirit may return.
A little history, with sauce: Fleur de Lis opened after World War II as a cocktail lounge. Mama Guercio began serving pizzas as free snacks with drinks. People loved them, and the pizzas became the restaurant's draw and money-maker. She baked them on cookie sheets, which became part of the legend.
The thick front door, the jukebox, the pinball machine and the low ceilings all added to the feeling that you were entering a place that was a welcome carnival sideshow.
The classic order: The Around the World pizza remains the one diners still talk about, usually with a side debate over anchovies, which were on the first Fleur de Lis pies.
Bottom line: Baton Rouge does not get many true restaurant resurrections. This one, Batson says, will happen. And if the space feels the same, the drinks are cold and the pizza is as remembered, people from Baton Rouge and elsewhere will be happy to see the door swing again.
Keep reading: Les Miles and family try the pies for the first time.
Wright Thompson
