New Orleans - January 13, 2006 - An intimate new neighborhood restaurant called Iris will breathe fresh air into New Orleans' landscape of contemporary American cuisine on January 25, 2006, the projected opening date. Chef Ian Schnoebelen, until recently a sous-chef at Lilette, will prepare reasonably priced French- and Italian-influenced dishes created for their bright flavors and light flair, counterbalancing the heavy cuisine frequently found in the Crescent City.
"I grew up in Southern California, and I admire the touches that West Coast and Mexican ingredients can bring to food, ingredients such as cilantro, fresh lime juice, and avocado," Schnoebelen says. "Still, Iris is in essence a New Orleans restaurant, and the menu will feature items like Gulf shrimp and seafood, some wild game, and local produce."
Situated in a converted shotgun house in the Riverbend area, the atmosphere is distinctly New Orleans as well. The décor, with wood floors and long drapes, gives guests the feeling they have been welcomed into someone's cottage. With only 11 tables, plus three more on the porch for use during pleasant weather, the restaurant's cozy ambience is friendly and relaxed.
"We want to know our customers. We're the opposite of corporate," says Laurie Casebonne, co-owner and maître d' . "At Iris, you have the chef-owner cooking your food in the kitchen with the other partner helping to take care of you in the front of the house. What restaurant experience could be more personal than that?"
Located just before the uptown streetcar barn at 8115 Jeannette St. and only a few steps from a S. Carrollton streetcar stop, Iris will attract a local crowd that reflects the eclectic personality of the Riverbend as well as tourists who seek to discover exciting places off the beaten track. The restaurant is located in the former location of Mango House (and previously Ninja), and Iris' menu will retain a few of Mango House's Caribbean-inspired dishes as a tribute to the brief period post-Katrina that Schnoebelen and Casebonne spent running the restaurant before opening Iris.
Both owners of Iris are veterans of the New Orleans restaurant world. Before his four-year position as sous-chef at Lilette under chef-owner John Harris, Schnoebelen had spent two years at the Red Room where he eventually became executive chef. Holding a sous-chef position, he also was instrumental in the successful opening of the Las Vegas branch of Commander's Palace. During his career training, Schnoebelen was a stagier at several Michelin-starred French restaurants in England.
Iris' General Manager Casebonne has worked at Lilette as a server. Additionally, she was a server for four years at Peristyle under Anne Kearney-Sand, the restaurant's founder and a James Beard Award winner, and Tom Sand and later under current owner Tom Wolfe.
Lively, but not crowded or loud, and hip, but not precious or pretentious, Iris welcomes its guests to enjoy thoughtfully prepared food, a diverse but manageable wine list, and the company of friends. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. until close. Reservations, made at (504) 862-5848, are recommended.
