The passing in 2015 of Chef Paul Prudhomme brought new attention to his seminal restaurant. A lot of people who hadn't dined there in awhile showed up to give their respects. They found, in contrast, the same jolly party that has always marked the scene at K-Paul's. The restaurant returns the favors. A few years ago they added a very casual lunch service, reminiscent of the way K-Paul's was in its early days. Chef Paul set up a unique Cajun-style deli, making outrageously good poor boy sandwiches and other casual eats, at everyday prices. The one I look forward to having again is the shepherd's pie, which launches that old school-cafeteria special into the flavor stratosphere. The Cajun deli lunches are back on Thursdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Chef Paul Prudhomme's restaurant has been a wellspring of creativity and inspiration for Cajun and Creole cooking for most of forty years. He fired up everybody up at a time when there was a lot of firing to be done. Many of the best chefs in New Orleans began their careers at K-Paul's. Many more were affected indirectly by his enthusiasm. The restaurant carries on in that tradition today. Chef Paul has been especially visible and involved since the hurricane. Lunch is back, but in a substantially more casual way than at dinner.
Chef Paul Prudhomme came to New Orleans from his hometown of Opelousas in the mid-1970s, and almost immediately began attracting attention for his new ideas about Cajun cooking. After a stint as executive chef over all the Brennan Family restaurants, he opened K-Paul's in an old French Quarter joint in 1979. It was an instant phenomenon, and from that day to this it's almost always been a packed house. The restaurant is managed by Chef Paul Miller, who worked with Prudhomme since before the restaurant opened opened.
A renovation in 1996 transformed the 1830s French Quarter building into a much more comfortable (yet still casual) restaurant with a decidedly New Orleans environment. Many more tables were created both downstairs and upstairs. Although they still accept walk-ins, you can now get a reservation--not available in the early years. No caps on men, no active cellphones in the dining room.
Make a reservation, and show up right on time. If you're sensitive to pepper, ask whether the dishes you're interested are very spicy. The culinary style is robust. If you go to lunch, know that the environment and menu are much more basic than you might expect from such a famous restaurant.
| Attitude | 2 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 1 |
| Hipness | 1 |
| Local Color | 3 |
| Service | 2 |
| Value | 0 |
| Wine | 1 |
