Bayou Tattoo shop co-owner Derrin Degruy is preparing to branch out into hospitality with a New Orleans-inspired restaurant planned for 1910 Magazine St. En Da Bayou will feature live music, premium spirits, craft cocktails, and a food menu with influences from various cultures that make the Crescent City what it is.
The sixth-generation New Orleanian recently told What Now New Orleans that the city’s tight-knit multiculturalism is what America should aspire to become.
“The worst misconception is that New Orleans is just Creole, and that is the furthest from the truth,” he said. “There is Creole. New Orleans is also Jewish, Irish, Italian, and Vietnamese. We are multiple cultures that bind together to make this city.”
Traditional flavors from those NOLA cultures will be served in modern presentations at En Da Bayou. Degury said there will be a robust cocktail program and a few “holy grail” spirits like Pappy Van Winkle and Double Eagle bourbons. There will be light jazz played throughout the day and a nurse’s happy hour to pay tribute to local medical workers.
Degruy emphasized that his restaurant will be focused on serving local people with local culture. He said that while tourist areas in New Orleans attract chefs seeking accolades, the Garden District and Lower Garden District are parts of the city where local culinary talent goes to flex a bit of creativity for other city residents.
“Magazine Street and Saint Charles show off people who are the pride of New Orleans,” he said. “Magazine Street and Saint Charles has always been for when New Orleans wants a breath of fresh air with a sense of familiarity.”
