Country Club closed (or not)?

[TAPrice]

Brett Anderson is reporting that the Country Club restaurant is closed:

Prescott said the Country Club is owned by an out-of-town businessman. "The way it was explained to me is that he's taken a really big hit in the economy," he said. Southern Decadence was expected to give the restaurant a strong September. Hurricane Gustav threw a wrench in those plans.

Full article here.

I do hope most restaurants can weather this financial storm.

[MikeHartnett]

I'm not terribly concerned. Bywater isn't a fantastic location for supporting a fine dining establishment, and regardless of personal feelings on the issue, being attached to a clothing-optional gay pool likely doesn't help business.

[Mayhaw Man]

Judging from the crowds, or lack of them, that I am seeing around town, I think that this will not be the only place to close if things don't pick up quickly this fall and for the holiday season.

It's not just here, it's all over. High end dining is taking a hit at many levels. People will go out to eat, but places that make big money selling lots of high end wine, desserts, after dinner drinks, and other luxury items are seeing declines all over. People have to eat, and they will, but they don't have to kill a couple of hundred bucks worth of highly marked up wine while they do it and the certainly don't need 15 dollar cocktails.

[TAPrice]

Or not.

Just spoke to the Country Club, and they said it's just a change of chefs. The sous is taking over, the hours are the same, and the menu is similar for now. Over the next few months, the menu will probably change.

[saturnbar]

Judging from the crowds, or lack of them, that I am seeing around town, I think that this will not be the only place to close if things don't pick up quickly this fall and for the holiday season.

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I can't really comment on how things are at the fine dining level, but from walking around in the Quarter you wouldn't know that things were bad at all. For some reason the Quarter was absolutely deserted in September. It must be expected as the Napolean House was closed for over a week for vacation. But come October and the tourists were here en masse. Johnny went from walk up service to ten deep at the counter overnight. Its funny, the news has been so bad that when I walk outside I expect the streets to be empty.

[MikeHartnett]

September's not a good month for tourism. I'm sure there are reasons, but I am not privy to them.

Cross your fingers and hope that New Orleanians and tourists ignore the doomsday media and keep right on going...

[The Drinkist]

Just spoke to the Country Club, and they said it's just a change of chefs. The sous is taking over, the hours are the same, and the menu is similar for now. Over the next few months, the menu will probably change.

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I went by for Sunday brunch and was told the same thing -- and definitely not a move toward a "diner" genre. I'll probably go back in a few weeks to check things out.