NEW ORLEANS — Commander’s Palace has announced the opening of Le Petit Bleu, a “crêperie, café and marché inspired by the crêperies of Paris.” Located at 1427 Washington Avenue, the new spot will offer its own signature dishes and Commander’s Palace classics, as well as drinks and gifts to go.
Commander’s co-proprietors Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan said Le Petit Bleu was inspired by their travels to Paris with Ella Brennan, Ti’s mother and Lally’s aunt. Ella Brennan, who died in 2018, was the matriarch of New Orleans’ most prominent restaurant family.
Commander’s Executive Chef Meg Bickford oversees the menu, which will offer breakfast, lunch and early dinner options in addition to a full coffee bar, cocktails and wine. Some items can also be ordered in advance for pick-up or delivery.
“It’s our little jewel box of a crêperie, with bold marble countertops and blue and white patterned tile floors,” said Lally Brennan in a press release. “Grab a yellow cafe chair or banquette seat for a cappuccino and some Commander’s candied pecan biscotti for breakfast. We hope you’ll stop in for a crêpe or frozen drink, a salad to go, a dog biscuit for Bowser or just to say ‘Bonjour!’”
Anurag Nema of Nema Workshop — who also designed Commander’s Palace’s recently renovated Patio Room — led the café’s design.
“The crêperies and cafés in Paris, with their shiny lacquered doors and writing on the windows, are what inspired us,” said Martin. “The very, very good coffee and crêpes. We dreamt of doing our version of them — a New Orleans version right in the Garden District.”
Le Petit Bleu is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
