Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published February 15, 2007 Gautreau's Reopens Gautreau's--one of the original crop of Uptown Creole bistros, and a consistently excellent eatery--reopened on Valantine's Day. The long delay in its return owed to the same sort of thing that kept Commander's and Delmonico from returning quickly: old building, not much apparent damage, plenty of problems revealed during the repair. Patrick Singley, the managing partner, told me that the restaurant opened to staff and friends for a run-through on Tuesday, then was ready for regular business Wednesday. Susan Zemanick, who was the chef before the storm, returns to that position, as do many others from the pre-storm staff. He said that the decor has changed a bit, although not the layout of the dining rooms--save for a small service bar that moved from the klitchen (where it was always in the way) to a corner of the dining room. "It's not a bar for customers to stand and order a drink," he added. Gautreau's always had a smallish but very loyal clientele (it's a small restaurant). But its lack was felt, and its return is a good thing. Gautreau’s. 1728 Soniat. 899-7397. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com