Lassalle's New Orleans Deli Starts New Chapter

Lassalle's New Orleans Deli closed because of the pandemic, but the owners are beginning a new chapter.

Lassalle's is offering a taste of New Orleans in Tulsa! 

"I owned a restaurant in Tulsa and tried to bring an authentic New Orleans experience to people who live here," said Christopher West.  

Christopher West and his wife were ready to begin a new chapter.

"There is no handbook right now for any of this," said West, "We were pretty popular, pre-pandemic. like all-the-time-popular."

Christopher West and his wife opened Lassalle's in 2013, after moving from Louisiana because of Hurricane Katrina.

"It was the stuff you found in people's homes, not in restaurants in New Orleans," said West.

They were far from home but the flavors of New Orleans cooking brought them comfort.

They wanted Tulsa to taste it for themselves.

"The name started because of my grandfather, who had four daughters and no way to carry in the name," said West.

Business had been predictable for years, but the pandemic changed customer flow.

The restaurant did all they could to stay open but eventually it was time to stop fighting.

"Part of being a New Orleanian is being resilient. You lose so much over and over," said West.

Lassalle's is starting a new chapter with a French Market and Farm.

"We will approach restaurants with responsibly grown produce," said West, "I am preparing land right now. We are getting seedlings started."

They will also be selling some of their classics, meats and produce at the farmers markets.

"I am going to grow Creole Tomatoes. We will grow Louisiana Okra; different things you can't get here that I grew up eating," said West.

Lassalle's is not a story of a failed restaurant. It is the story of a resilient, ever-transforming, restaurant; full of history, flavor and some New Orleanian grit.

You can support their mission here: https://www.facebook.com/lassallesneworleansdeli