Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published March 15, 2006 Click here for the current edition Pelican Club Reopens It's the same story we've heard so many times before as to why it's taken so long for Richard Hughes and Chin Ling to reopen their superb Exchange Alley restaurant. The refrigeration was on the second floor. Everything got disgusting, melted, and leaked into the floors, walls, and even the wooden joists. The process of removing it all spread it around further. (This is also the problem at Brennan's.) Richard says that three thousand square feet of flooring had to be replaced, along with ceilings and wallboard. Plus parts of the roof, and. . . well, enough of that. "We spent the time redoing the bar. I think you'll like what we did there," he says. "We changed a lot of colors, put in new cabinets, lots of new paintings, and improved the look." The bar has, indeed, been much enhanced. It now has the feeling of the front room at Antoine's or Galatoire's: small but comfortable, with windows onto Exchange Alley, ceiling fans, dark woodwork, and a great feeling of New Orleans. Before the storm, Richard says, he had a staff of about fifty. He opened with fifteen. "But they'll come back. We're getting geared up for French Quarter Festival and the Jazz Fest. We'll be ready." For now, it's just dinner from a slightly attenuated menu and a much smaller wine list (they lost the whole wine collection, which was in the attic). I dined there Tuesday night and found everything back up to its old standards. I'll have a full report on this after I make another pass. Tuesdays through Sundays. 615 Bienville, 523-1504. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com