Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis: First Look: TruOrleans Restaurant and Gallery

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

First Look: TruOrleans Restaurant and Gallery

Photo by Kristen Finn

TruOrleans Restaurant and Gallery adds an authentic Cajon Creole experience with a twist. to H Street TruOrleans features family recipes from Lake Charles, LA as well as art work straight from the French Quarter. We got a small taste of what TruOrleans has to offer at the opening party. Looking forward to going back again to try more menu items.

The restaurant, a two level establishment with an open deck on the upper floor, features many of the recipes that the friends enjoyed at the East family home as well as a gallery of authentic art from the heart of the New Orleans French Quarter.

Art is another cultural part of Louisiana and Redding has located several artists from the French Quarter who will have work displayed in and around the restaurant and will be available for purchase.

Located on the corner of H and 4^th NE, the restaurant is open Monday thru Sunday from 7:00 am to 12:00 am on weekdays and 7:00 am to 2:00 am on weekends. The split level restaurant offers an upscale experience featuring many Cajun Creole favorites like Po Boys, Gumbo, Jambalaya and Beignets as well as New Orleans drink favorites like the traditional Hurricane, Louisiana specialty beers and a spectacular wine list.

Tru Redding, the name sake of the restaurant and local developer, met the East’s, a third generation Louisiana family, during a local golf tournament and was invited to attend a duck hunting trip with them in Louisiana. After the hunting trip he was invited back to the family home where he had some of the best Cajun Creole food he had ever tasted and the concept of the restaurant was brought to life with the help of local investor friends Brad Howard and Hans Christensen. The connection to Louisiana is strong for both Howard and Christensen as Howard has family in the state of Louisiana. After the Katrina storm, Howard loaded up several generators to deliver to family in Baton Rouge. He and Christensen partnered to create a trash removal company and spent the next two years helping with the clean up. The love and close ties to Louisiana cemented their involvement and partnership with Redding.