A quiet property in Algiers with a slightly dodgy history is set to get a new lease on life, when acclaimed local restaurateurs Melissa Martin and Cassi Dymond open a grand hospitality concept called Saint Claire. The crown jewel of the nearly four-acre property, located across the Mississippi River from Arabi, is a Federalist center hall mansion that will be an upscale restaurant and event space when it opens in late June.
But the property with its 18 mighty oak trees is regal and of itself, albeit one with a complicated past. Set right on the Mississippi, it was first used during Prohibition as a base for federal agents looking to capture bootleggers and smugglers traversing the river. In the run up to World War II and during the early war, the property was used as an internment facility called Camp Algiers, mostly housing people of Japanese heritage, but also suspected Nazi sympathizers of European descent. Near the end of the war, it became known as a “camp for the innocent” as Jewish people and anti-Nazis from other camps were transferred there to avoid harassment. After the war, it became a federal facility that was disused and fell into disrepair.
In 2024, Martin and Dymond had been looking for properties to open a restaurant when they became enchanted by the former Camp Algiers. They were able to collect financial backing to purchase the property in December and embark on a six-month renovation of the Federal-style house.
Martin recently told What Now New Orleans that they’ve used a light touch during renovations to keep the property as historic and natural as possible.
“It’s kind of a little park nature preserve,” she said. “We have all kinds of different creatures on the property because it’s just a little untouched. When it rains a lot, the property fills with birds that you would normally see in the marsh or the swamp.”
With 40 years of hospitality experience between them, including years spent running Satsuma Café and Mosquito Supper Club, Martin and Dymond have developed a concept for Saint Claire that is influenced by French cooking and French-Cajun dishes. However, Martin said the small, seasonal menu at Saint Claire will have a modern sensibility. It will focus on local and seasonal ingredients, but also source essential modern ingredients from outside Southern Louisiana.
“When I’m in the South of France and I’m cooking with friends,” she said, “we’re still cooking dishes from all these other places. So, you can’t put sort of, those old boundaries on French cooking.”
At the bar, expect classic cocktails and a “small but mighty wine list,” Martin said. She also emphasized that the bar will lean into non-alcoholic drinks.
“My husband and I love to go to a restaurant and order every single non-alcoholic drink they have,” she mused. “Because they’re usually really inventive and good… if you’re at a good restaurant. And so, we want to make sure we have a little something for everyone.”
While she sounded inspired talking about the seasonal menu and beverage options at Saint Claire, Martin kept coming back to the property around it. Some images of it popped up briefly on the Saint Clare Instagram page, but Martin stressed that people have to come and see the space for themselves, even if it’s just for a drink amongst the history-steeped oaks.
“Use it as a respite: you know, a little bit of country in the city,” she suggested. “Come over, get a cocktail, and sit on our porch or in our courtyard. Or, have a cocktail and bring a blanket to sit under the trees. It is such a magical place, and we want people to enjoy it that way.”
