Two New Additions to
Harrah's Fulton Street Mall

The crowd files in one by one onto the Fulton Street set of of Live with Regis and Kelly

The set of Live with Regis and Kelly on Fulton Street in New Orleans

The crowd watches on as Regis and Kelly tape from their set on Fulton Street in New Orleans

Two new additions to the ongoing development of the Fulton Street Mall were announced recently by Harrah’s New Orleans, owners of the property where the development is taking place. Grand Isle, a seafood-themed restaurant owned by noted local chef/caterer/restaurateur Joel Dondis, and Aidan Gill for Men, an upscale men’s grooming salon owned by Aidan Gill, will be opening new locations in the first block of Fulton Street at Poydras in the next few months.

The announcement comes just a few months after the official opening of the Fulton Street Mall, which is situated between the new Harrah’s Hotel and Gordon Birsch, a popular micro-brewery specializing in exotic-flavored beers and fine dining. The one-block-long mall has been closed to vehicular traffic and is fast emerging as a popular destination for casual strollers in the downtown area. Already open along the mall, in addition to Harrah’s Hotel and Gordon Birsch, are 528, an upscale music club featuring popular local musicians, and Riché, Chef Todd English’s latest restaurant. The mall offers numerous chairs and tables for those who like to dine and drink outdoors and fine artwork, including a series of bronze sculptures of old-time jazz musicians.

The Fulton Street Mall has already begun to establish itself as a pedestrian-friendly destination in just the few short months it has been open. It is also emerging as an ideal location for film shoots. During the last week of May, “Live With Regis & Kelly” shot four of its popular syndicated TV talk shows there.

During their stay in New Orleans, co-hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa lavished praise on the city and its myriad of attractions, including the French Quarter, St. Charles Avenue and the city’s famous restaurants and cuisine. The shows interviewed celebrity guests like John Stamos, Luke Wilson and Martina McBride, and featured dishes cooked live by local chefs Paul Prudhomme, Leah Chase and Tenney Flynn of GW Fins. Local musicians Cowboy Mouth, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band were also spotlighted during various segments of the shows.

Also during their shoots here, Regis and Kelly helped open a playground at a local school and offered in-depth reports on the progress New Orleans has been making toward recovery.

Jim Hoskins, senior vice-president and general manger of Harrah’s New Orleans Casino and Hotel, praised the new businesses locating on Fulton Street. “Both of these local businessmen are making a significant commitment to New Orleans with this expansion. Grand Isle and Aidan Gill for Men will be attractive additions to Fulton Street and will move us closer to our goal of sustaining a new and exciting entertainment, dining and shopping destination for both locals and visitors.”

Fulton Street was the main entertainment promenade for the 1984 World’s Fair. The fair helped rejuvenate a section of the city made up largely of abandoned warehouses and it sparked riverfront development, including the creation of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Riverwalk mall. Since the fair, the Warehouse District has emerged as the city’s major Arts District, with dozens of galleries lining nearby Julia Street and adjacent streets.

Both Dondis and Gill said they were motivated to expand by Harrah’s vision for a new Fulton Street featuring dining, entertainment and shopping near the site that is fondly remembered by many World’s Fair visitors. Dondis said that inspiration for the name and much of the décor can be traced to the photographs of Grand Isle, Louisiana, taken in the 1930s and 1940s by noted photographer Fonville Winans. Grand Isle is the state’s major beach resort on the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 125 miles from New Orleans.

Dondis also said that the menu will be dominated by seafood dishes that reflect “the comfort and honesty of Louisiana cooking.” Many of the recipes have been collected by the notable local chef since he began cooking at age 12. Several oyster dishes, stuffed lobster and even his grandmother’s pot roast are among the anticipated entrees.

A native of Lake Charles, La., Dondis studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, cooked at two Michelin-rated restaurants in Germany and then came to New Orleans where he worked at Mr. B’s and then served as sous chef at Emeril’s before opening his own successful catering and event planning service.

Gill brings his signature men’s grooming salon and retail store with its classic barbershop antiques, gifts and memorabilia, aromatic cigars, pints of Guinness and signature shaves to Fulton Street to build an audience beyond the loyal following that has made his Magazine Street establishment wildly successful and nationally recognized.

Gill’s distinctive approach to the traditional men’s barber services has gained recognition from national media such as GQ and Esquire magazines and patronage from high-profile locals and national celebrities. A native of Dublin, Ireland, and a longtime barber and retailer in London and New Orleans, Gill has spent more than 25 years assembling classic furnishings and memorabilia for his stores.

Harrah’s New Orleans is operated by a subsidiary of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada nearly 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

At 115,000 square feet, Harrah’s New Orleans is one of the largest land-based casinos in the world, opening its doors in October 1999. It was one of the first major businesses to reopen after Hurricane Katrina, in February 2006, and it features 2,100 slot machines, over 90 table games and a first-class poker room. It also offers live entertainment and features several eating establishments ranging from fine dining to buffet style. Its opulently appointed 27-story hotel tower with 450 rooms opened across the street from the casino on September 21, 2006.

by Dean M. Shapiro