Although you might not know it from the outside, New Orleans‘ culture has been low-key infused with Japanese influence in recent years, and one of the most visible signs of that infusion will be the opening of a sake den in Algiers Point, scheduled for early 2024.
To be clear, the Rice Vice sake den planned for 143 Delaronde St. has its roots in Nashville, not Nagasaki. Owner Bryon Stithem founded his Proper Sake brewing company in Music City, and he opened the first Rice Vice sake den there as a way to show off both his creations and sakes from Japan that aren’t widely distributed in the US. The bold decision to embrace sake with both hands paid off, and Rice Vice made Esquire magazine’s list of the best US bars that was published in 2023.
Stithem’s personal connection to New Orleans restauranteur Bryson Aust led to the second Rice Vice location being planned for Algiers Point. According to NOLA.com, the new Rice Vice will be an intimate space with sakes from Proper Sake alongside a wide range of what the Japanese sake industry currently has to offer. That includes everything from traditional brews to sakes with bolder, modern flavor profiles. Stithem and Aust bringing the concept to Algiers Point wasn’t purely driven by serendipity. Next door, Aust and some of his other business partners are currently in the process of opening Nighthawk Napoletana, a restaurant specializing in wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas.
