East Ninth Street Italian restaurant Zi'Pep quietly closed in May, after just six months in business. Now the Local EV learns that the space will soon become a New Orleans-themed restaurant called Exchange Alley from Soho House vet Paul Gerard. There are some other big names involved here: Billy Gilroy of Employees Only is one of the backers, and John Harris of acclaimed NOLA restaurant Lilette is an investor too. Sisha Ortuzar of Riverpark is going to create a vegetable garden in part of the space.
Gerard, who lived in New Orleans for a long time, says that the menu here will be "New Orleans with a New York Flair." Exchange Alley is slated to open in September — perhaps it can break the curse of the space, which housed three failed restaurants in three years.
· New Orleans Comes to East Ninth Street, Via Exchange Alley [The Local EV]
· All Coverage of New York's Coming Attractions [~ENY~]