Place Category: Cajun / Creole, Outside Dining, Private Dining, Southern, and Weekend BrunchPlace Tags: Balcony Dining, Chef Owned and Operated, and Views
Café Sbisa, established in 1899 and the third oldest fine-dining establishment in the French Quarter, is proud to re-open under the direction of a new team to once again offer the highest quality French-Creole cuisine in a welcoming, historical setting that both locals and tourists will appreciate.
Spearheading the new Café Sbisa are Mr. Craig Napoli, who successfully ran the notable restaurant from 1992 – 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, and Chef Alfred Singleton, who met Craig when he started working for him at the former Café Sbisa as a prep cook.
Now, the unique venue will once again open its doors to serve classic local fare like Turtle Soup, Louisiana Blue Crab Cakes and BBQ Shrimp using the freshest, locally-sourced seafood and produce. While many restaurants tout “fresh and local”, Sbisa means it, as the Napoli family owns their own seafood dock and distribution business in Hopedale, Louisiana.
Alfred Singleton,
Executive Chef and Co-OwnerBorn and raised in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Alfred Singleton has always had a supreme passion for food. A graduate of Alfred Lawless Senior High, Alfred spent his nights and weekends at his family’s popular sandwich shop peeling shrimp for the highly sought after po-boys to avoid trouble on the streets. His career propelled when he took a job as a dishwasher at Bacco, and from there, Alfred worked his way up the ranks, grabbing the attention of influential people who all saw the same potential.
One of those people was Craig Napoli, Alfred’s now Partner in the revived Café Sbisa. Napoli hired Singleton as a prep cook in 2000 and almost immediately promoted him to Executive Chef, where he thrived in this role until Hurricane Katrina forced the restaurant to close.
Singleton stayed busy between 2005 until now, including a stint at Desi Vegas Steakhouse and serving as Executive Chef at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse for eight years. Accolades include representing the city of New Orleans on the Food Network Chefs vs. City and at the James Beard House “Evolution of Creole Cuisine”. New Orleans City Business also ranked Singleton a 2008 Culinary Connoisseur.
Alfred is looking forward to rebuilding Café Sbisa with Co-owner Craig Napoli, combining their diverse backgrounds under one roof to provide both locals and tourists with an unforgettable dining experience.- Call for details
