“It’s a bit like being at your own wake,” said Wade Benoit, general manager at Coquette, looking around the dining room.
Tables were full and so was the bar, with people perched elbow to elbow over carrot Bolognese and smothered flounder. Stories flowed — between friends dining together, between staff with their customers, between strangers at the bar — all of them about the Magazine Street restaurant through the years.
Chef/owner Micheal Stoltzfus announced earlier in June that he would close Coquette after nearly 18 years in business. The last night of regular service is set for June 26, with a special night planned for June 27 (details to be determined). Reservation bookings immediately lit up.
And so Coquette right now is like a stage production in its final run, with fans packing the house one last time, with the closing cast saying goodbye.
It’s also, through these last few days, an ongoing illustration of an elusive ideal: the right way to close a restaurant.
How to close
People flock to new restaurant openings. In New Orleans, people are also drawn to an old favorite when they learn it’s closing. They want one last visit. Sometimes, though, they never get that chance…