Introducing: Fat City Blues, Little Italy’s New Orleans–inspired watering hole

Introducing: Fat City Blues, Little Italy’s New Orleans–inspired watering hole

(Image: Jackie Pal)

Name: Fat City Blues
Neighbourhood: Little Italy
Contact Info: 890 College St., 647-345-8282, fatcityblues.com, @fatcityblues
Previously: The Huntsman Tavern
Owners: Cameron Hutton and Steve McKeon (Small Town Food Co.), Simon Ho (The Drake)
Chef: Charles Duncan (Splendido)

The Food: Updated Cajun classics: peanuts boiled in their shells; battered alligator po’ boys on soft baguette with a house-made remoulade; creole-spiked hush puppies—spicy bites dredged in cornmeal, fried until golden and served with a honey-cider cream; and crab legs (bib included). And it wouldn’t be a taste of the bayou without bivalves. At Fat City, the oysters are prepared three ways: raw, baked and fried. A by-the-weight crawfish boil is in the works and will likely be on the menu for when summer arrives.

The Drinks: Southern-inspired potent potables, including the Hurricane (the passion fruit– and rum-spiked cocktail synonymous with party beads) and the Sazerac, along with a list of Ho’s signature cocktails that are twists on the N’awlins classics: Land of Dixie and Fiyo on the Bayou are both boozy numbers. An absinthe menu is in the works with three varieties currently on offer, including one from Dillon’s.

The Place: Inspired by the jazz bars of Frenchman Street, a piano sits in the middle of the restaurant for diners who aren’t afraid to tickle the ivories and belt out a tune. Every Thursday through Sunday (but soon, nightly), guests can sip their Sazeracs in front of live blues and jazz performances. Restored wood, haphazardly nailed onto one wall, paired with polished blue banquettes and tables covered in newspaper clippings give the space a clean, but slightly rough-around-the-edges look.