Already chockablock with cool drink and dining destinations, Mid-City is about to get another great restaurant concept that brings something neighborhood-focused to the area.
Coming to the former Ruby Slipper Café space at 139 S. Cortez St., Rosella is a first-time venture for co-owners Alixandra Petrovich and Paul McCaige, who are both veterans of the local film and hospitality industries. Petrovich told What Now New Orleans that Rosella is very much inspired by the surrounding Mid-City neighborhood.
“I’m from this neighborhood and I’ve watched it develop over the years into more of a place for young families and people work home nearby,” she said. “It’s become a lot more populated, especially after Katrina.
“So, we saw a need for a place where families and other people can come to congregate.”
Slated to open at the end of October, Rosella will be offering a unique menu of small plates, charcuterie, sandwiches, and sno-balls alongside a wine-centric beverage menu. The restaurant will also look to serve busy people in Mid-City with a grab-and-go station. Menu development is being overseen by Richard Horner, who was a chef at Blue Giant, a defunct Chinese restaurant in the Lower Garden District.
The décor at Rosella is being overseen by set dressing professionals. Petrovich said it was important to bring in her connections in the local film industry, given that the industry is currently being decimated by the ongoing writers and actors strike.
“I went to film school, but the training I ever had for being on a film set is working in a professional kitchen,” she mused. “They’re very similar environments. It’s fast-paced and then low. It’s hard work and long hours. But both are really rewarding work as well.”
While Rosella will initially open only for dinner, there are plans to offer brunch hours once the restaurant gets established.
From 2008 to 2016, this location was the original home of the Ruby Slipper Café, which was regularly rated as having one of the best brunches in the city. The space was also home to Fullblast Brunch from 2018 to the summer of 2023.
