NEW ORLEANS -- In many cases, restaurants led the way back from Hurricane Katrina. Restaurants in the metro area have not only been economic drivers, but sources of comfort for residents seeking what's familiar.
For 25 years, Edward Monnin has waited tables at Mandina’s restaurant in Mid-City with a smile -- except for the 18 months the restaurant was closed after it flooded in Katrina.
When Mandina’s finally re-opened in 2007, Monnin said it was a mad house.
“They missed the place. They were shocked to see the place come back and to also see the same familiar faces. We had a lot of regulars that came back,” he said.
Five years ago, restaurants like Mandina’s were under water. Many of them have kept water marks after their renovations to remind them just how far they've come.
“We found that the number of restaurants that have re-opened or new restaurants are on pace with the population,” said Wendy Waren, vice president of communications for the Louisiana Restaurant Association.
The agency released numbers of food service permits that have been issued by the state since the storm. The number of permits in Orleans Parish has reached 80% of its pre-Katrina level. Jefferson Parish is up to 87 percent of pre-K permits, and St. Bernard parish is at just 46 percent.
WWL Radio food critic Tom Fitzmorris disagrees with the LRA’s numbers. He said his tally of actual restaurants in New Orleans is greater than it was before the storm.
"I know for a fact that we have more real restaurants now than we did before the storm,” he said.
One thing is certain: New Orleans restaurant industry is no longer just about the classics.
“Really after Katrina, it's just been booming and it's so exciting for something that's always thought of as a risky business to be in,” said Jenni Lynch, general manager of Mondo restaurant in Lakeview.
The new eatery, created by Chef Susan Spicer, just opened its doors for the first time in June and on any given day, Lynch said, it’s packed.
“Loud and exciting and boisterous. And everybody's greeting and saying hello and eating and talking. It's been great. Very busy,” she said. Even five years after Katrina, neighborhood restaurants are still serving as places to re-unite. Some say they're leading the recovery. Fitzmorris even wrote a book on it.
"If the restaurants had not been here or at least some semblance of the food culture that we love here, and if it looked like they weren't gonna come back, I don't think we would've recovered as quickly as we did," Fitzmorris said.
In New Orleans, restaurants are sacred. It's why Monnin is 71 years old, and glad to be back at work.
“I'm gonna stay here as long as I can do it. I love it,” he said.
