Legacy Kitchen

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

As much as people like to reminisce about a past that never really was, with all the bad parts removed from the Good Old Days, retro restaurant concepts have never done especially well. It's tough enough for restaurants that really are old to keep a balance between their traditions and the demands of the modern market. It's a greater stretch still for a former Shoney's to pretend that it's operating in 1953. The American flavor catches your attention until you remember that this is New Orleans, where Americana never really set in completely. And certainly not in the local food. This is the puzzler that is Legacy Kitchen.

Why It's Essential

The intent seems to be to bring the food of a 1950s diner into the modern age. In the process, the kitchen creates thoroughly contemporary dishes. Some of them are outright trendy. If the name and the decor didn't remind you of the legacy, I don't think you'd notice it. Example: fried chicken and waffles, that odd combination so popular around the country in chain restaurants. Also in step with the tastes of 2014: near-Mexican dishes. [caption id="attachment_41228" align="alignnone" width="480"] Chicken and wffles at Legacy Kitchen.[/caption]

Backstory

The owners of the New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company (across the street) opened Legacy Kitchen in 2013, after renovating the closed Shoney's in the very prominent location across Veterans from Dorignac's Supermarket. [caption id="attachment_41249" align="alignnone" width="480"] Legacy Grill.[/caption]

Dining Room

An airy design with many windows and long expanses of light-wood banquettes makes the place comfortable. Here and there are pockets of retro design, with elements of the old manual typewriter as a leitmotif. Add tablecloths, and this could become an ideal spot for one of the gourmet bistros Metairie doesn't have. The servers are well trained but oversell. One day, the waitress started working on me to buy a dessert when I was only half-finished the entree. [caption id="attachment_40957" align="alignnone" width="480"] Duck chili at Legacy Kitchen.[/caption]

For Best Results

The soups are excellent, especially the turtle soup and the crab and corn bisque. Order light, because portions are large and a lot of the food is on the heavy side.