Ye Olde College Inn
A
New Orleans neighborhood fixture embraces change and asks customers to
do the same.
John Blanchard knows how New Orleanians feel about people who tamper with their traditions and he seemed to proceed carefully as he "updated" the menu of fried seafood and Southern-style comfort food at the College Inn. When the Blanchard family purchased the 63-year-old restaurant in 2004, they inherited a multi-generational customer base, many intensely loyal to particular dishes — yeah, I love that hamburger steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was always daddy's favorite, too! So the Blanchards changed things, to be sure, but tried to keep the customer comfort level high by keeping key things -- certain dishes and the separate barroom -- the same.
Now everything is changed. The boxy 1930's building that housed the original Ye Olde College Inn -- and so many family's memories -- was inundated when the levees failed and is still being cleaned out.
The Blanchards have moved the College Inn to another building on the same lot, one they were already outfitting for dining purposes before the storm. It is airy and bistro-like, but a very different atmosphere from its parent. They opened in February. The smaller and much-changed menu -- which still includes some comforting old favorites -- also includes a request for patience with the changes because, for College Inn and many restaurants, the storm was a 'change or die' situation.
3016 Carrollton Avenue • New Orleans, Louisiana • (504) 866-3683