Denver-based hospitality company Culinary Creative Group and New Orleans restaurateur Billy Blatty are working together to bring Blatty’s vision to life by crafting a unique greenspace and restaurant nook. The duo announced to The Times-Picayune a larger project coming to New Orleans, bringing three Denver restaurant brands to the city. Bohemia Gardens, A5 Steakhouse, and Mister Oso are all opening locations across New Orleans between now and 2024.
Spanning decades in the restaurant business, Blatty is responsible for opening plenty of successful businesses, including Barcadia and its attached nightclub Ohm Lounge, Belle’s Diner, and Sofia’s, an Italian restaurant he opened with Culinary Creative Group. Barcadia recently announced its closure after 16 years of business, but the space will now be the home of Mister Oso’s first New Orleans location. Bohemia Gardens is set to be located on a currently empty grass lot on 4730 Freret St. near Humble Bagel Shop.
Freret Street Restaurant Row is known for its bustling restaurant scene and nightlife, and Bohemia Gardens plans to bring a dynamic culinary park concept. Designs for the restaurant park will place three different outdoor dining concepts built into 8-by-20-foot shipping containers, similar to a food truck set-up. On one site plan, the three restaurants named are “Buddha”, Sandwich,” and “Lea Jane.” A separate 8-by-40-foot container will be a bar area, and the rest will be dedicated to leisure spaces for guests.
The vision Blatty has includes hammocks, swings, and concrete ping pong tables. Lush greenery and planted trees to provide shade will surround the area. According to reports from Axios New Orleans, Blatty hopes to include retractable pergolas, fire pits, and outdoor games to encourage guests to interact with one another.
Earlier this year, the Uptown Messager reported that the Planning Commission of New Orleans originally rejected the Bohemia Gardens plans because the project did not align with the character of the neighborhood. In a statement, the commission said, “The proposed design strategy drastically departs from the character of Freret Street in that the current layout of the structures breaks the rhythm and fabric of the street by not providing building facades to the edge of the sidewalk.”
After much revision of the plans for Bohemia Gardens, the project was finally greenlit in July. Blatty expressed difficulty finding a middle ground to get approval from city officials. Blatty said in a statement to the Uptown Messager, “I’m trying to massage a few elements… so it doesn’t become too industrial and skew away from what the intended use and project is.”
The Culinary Creative Group and Sofia’s head chef, Talia Diele, will lead the culinary direction of the park. Blatty plans to have Bohemia Gardens open sometime next year.
