The Camellia Grill is a landmark diner in the Carrollton section of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Carrollton Avenue Carrollton Avenue is a major thoroughfare stretching across the Uptown/ Carrollton and Mid-City districts of New Orleans. South Carrollton Avenue runs from St. Charles Avenue in the Riverbend in a northeast ''lake-bound'' direction through Car ...

near its intersection with St. Charles Avenue on the St. Charles Streetcar line.

History

The Camellia Grill first opened its doors on December 19, 1946. Despite suffering little physical damage, the restaurant was closed after Hurricane Katrina until April 2007, when it reopened under new ownership. During this period of closure, the Camellia Grill's front door was festooned with hundreds of notes from locals and tourists who missed it. The restaurant only offers counter service and its staff is usually gregarious. It is well known for its long-serving waiters, the most famous of whom was probably Harry Tervalon, Sr., who was the first waiter hired in 1946, and who even after his 1996 retirement remained associated with the restaurant (including cutting the ribbon when the Grill finally reopened after Katrina), until his death in August 2007. The restaurant was purchased in 2006 by local restaurateur Hicham Khodr, who later opened two now-closed branches in the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Sq ...

and

Destin, Florida Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida, metropolitan area. Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green ...

. In May 2012, a state court ruled that Khodr was in breach of his licensing agreement with the former owner, and this ruling was upheld on appeal in May 2013, meaning that Khodr could be required to change the name of the restaurants. However, in July 2015 he won the right to continue using the restaurant's trademark, name and logo.

Dishes

The establishment is noted for such casual cuisine as giant

omelette In cuisine, an omelette (also spelled omelet) is a dish made from beaten eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan (without stirring as in scrambled egg). It is quite common for the omelette to be folded around fillings such as chives ...

s, cheeseburgers, "freezes," and

pecan pie Pecan pie is a pie of pecan nuts mixed with a filling of eggs, butter, and sugar (typically corn syrup). Variations may include white or brown sugar, cane syrup, sugar syrup, molasses, maple syrup, or honey. It is popularly served at holiday ...

heated on the grill.

References

External links

Ian McNulty, "Camellia Grill to Spread Its Roots"

Gambit Weekly ''Gambit'' (formerly ''Gambit Weekly'') is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based free alternative weekly newspaper established in 1981. ''Gambit'' features reporting about local politics, news, food and drink, arts, music, film, events, environmental ...

, September 5, 2006
Video of reopened CG.Recipe for Camellia Grill's Famous Pecan Pie
Karey Stoltz, November 2008 {{Restaurants in New Orleans Restaurants in New Orleans Uptown New Orleans Restaurants established in 1946 1946 establishments in Louisiana