A scant week after closing their Magazine Street breakfast and barbecue joint J’Anita’s, proprietors Craig and Kim Giesecke have a new plan to get cooking again.
They intend to set up shop in the kitchen of the Avenue Pub, a 24-hour watering hole in the Lower Garden District, one week from today, opening on April 1. They’re calling the venture J’Anita’s at the Avenue and their plan is to serve a limited version of their former menu from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and eventually adjust hours as demand dictates.
The Avenue Pub has heretofore served a very basic menu of burgers and mostly fried bar snacks, usually prepared by the bartender between pouring pints and mixing drinks. Craig Giesecke says he’ll augment the bar’s small kitchen with some equipment from J’Anita’s, most notably the smoker. They’ll serve brisket and pulled pork, guacamole and a few other sides, and sandwiches, including an amazing redfish sandwich.
The rest of the day the kitchen will revert to the old Avenue Pub standbys.
The Giesecke’s closed J’Anita’s because they couldn’t see how they’d make enough money this spring to cover their expenses through an anticipated slow summer. The city’s ample supply of bars could certainly stand more diversity when it comes to food operations, so I’m hoping this deal works out for everyone.
