New Orleans will host the North America's 50 Best Restaurants awards on May 28, 2026, and will also stage Bocuse d'Or and pastry qualifiers at the convention center in July.

A former fine-dining chef has opened a Bywater roastery-café that pairs house-baked Nordic breads with small-batch coffee. It’s a neighborhood spot built around smørbrød and retail bags.

Tet Fest returns next weekend to Mary Queen of Vietnam Church with festival-only Vietnamese dishes, nightly lion and dragon dances and free admission.

Gonzales-based Pho Viet is opening a roughly 2,000‑sqft outpost in Long Farm Village, with owners targeting a November 2026 debut.

St. John the Baptist Parish posted photos of a ribbon‑cutting Wednesday for a new Fratelli's Italian Grille in LaPlace, naming owner Ismet Nezaj and listing hours. The restaurant occupies an end‑cap at 405 Belle Terre Blvd.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe will open at Sweetland Centre in Broussard, taking over the former Taco Bell corner. Local franchisees behind the Youngsville expansion will operate the new spot.

Chicken Salad Chick confirmed plans for a Lakeside Mall location in Metairie, which would become the chain’s second New Orleans‑area store. Franchise partners behind the first Metairie site are involved locally.

Frenchmen All Day, the Marigny cafe known for house-roasted coffee and Bloody Marys, has closed after five years. The building is now listed for sale.

After a year of pop‑ups, chef Valeriano Chiella's Fico Cucina has moved into Balcony Bar Uptown, bringing baked gnocchi, cacio e pepe and a chicken Milanese to a regular menu. The fixed kitchen lets the project expand beyond one‑night events.

A new Freret Street spot from the High Hat team serves Cuban sandwiches, fritas and a house roast developed with French Truck Coffee.

Aden Aroma, opened by 23-year-old Basil Alsoofi in Harvey, serves Yemeni drinks and pastries including adeni chai and honeycomb bread. The compact shop aims to be a late-night, alcohol-free gathering spot.

Justin and Mia Devillier bought the Upperline building and plan a new restaurant with private dining upstairs, aiming for a late‑2026 opening. The project will be a new concept, not a reopening.

The Kern family—of Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World—has invested in Galatoire’s, joining John Georges and other owners at the historic Bourbon Street restaurant. The move pairs parade production muscle with one of New Orleans' best-known dining rooms.