When chef Gerard Maras approached Ralph Brennan about opening a restaurant and working together again (they had been at Mr. B’s Bistro), they felt it was time to create a restaurant “for locals, by locals,” and selected Landis to help them do it. The new building at 900 City Park Ave. near City Park represents 145 years of history, and most of that history is food service-related, having been originally constructed in 1860 as a coffeehouse. Ralph’s on the Park opened its doors at 900 City Park Avenue in 2003 following an intense, year-long renovation that involved the salvaging of its brick walls, French doors that line the balcony, exterior ironwork from the balcony, and more, by Landis’s project team. Upon its debut, it was named “Best New Restaurant” by New Orleans Magazine and “Best Restaurant Post-Katrina” by New Orleans CityBusiness. The beloved dining staple still bustles with restaurant-goers — from New Orleans and around the globe — who come to marvel at chef Maras’ cuisine, the view of City Park, and the beautifully restored historic building.
From post-bid construction analysis through final punchlist completion, Landis worked diligently with our firm to build an exemplary new school, one which impressed the client enough to become the RSD’s prototype design for future elementary schools. Based on working with Landis Construction over several decades, I do not hesitate to highly recommend Landis for your upcoming construction projects.
Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects
