Leave it to an architect to have a plan.
While his Tulane degree in architecture came in handy with the painstaking renovation of the 1860 Greek Revival townhouse that is now Margaret Place, Trenton Gauthier’s plan isn’t just about restoring the hotel and event space to glory.
With the opening of the hotel’s cheekily named Rising Sun cafe, Gauthier’s vision extends to create a delightful space, where fresh ingredients come together for bites of nostalgic goodness.
The cafe’s team includes the father and son chef duo Matt and Jake Erickson in the kitchen. Pastry chef Violet Badflower provides baked goods with an emphasis on vegan options; and Rachel Blackstone is the lead barista behind the high-tech Decent Espresso machine. The coffee program hinges on small batch local roasters Mammoth, Cherry and Pretty Coffee.
Blackstone conjures some of its own beverages, like the spiced mocha, bright with notes of cayenne and cinnamon. Badflower, who is also a burlesque performer, bakes treats like guava cream cheese pastelitos, vegan bananas Foster muffins and brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
For now, the savory menu is compact and changes frequently with seasonal ingredients. The BEAT is Matt Erickson’s take on a BLT, combining bacon, egg, arugula and heirloom tomatoes on ciabatta with a schmear of house-made tomato onion jam.
The pulled-pork sloppy joe has a whisper of gochujang, the Korean chili pepper paste. The fried chicken sandwich is a winner, a juicy, Creole-seasoned, fried breast cutlet dressed with arugula, creamy basil aioli and, on the other side of the toasted ciabatta, a flavor-packed romesco sauce.
Beer-braised pork shoulder is used in the pulled pork breakfast hash served with eggs and cafeteria-style hash brown patties. Most dishes are $10 or under, including a diner plate with more of those crispy hash browns, toast, two eggs and andouille or bacon on the side. There’s a daily soup and a seasonal salad, currently a mix of arugula, house-marinated artichoke hearts, pickled peppers and shaved radishes tossed in a citrusy vinaigrette.
Entrees are served on pretty china, which underscores the eye-popping presentations. “There’s a lot of prep that goes into our dishes, but they come together fast,” Matt Erickson says.
Matt Erickson, who has been in New Orleans for seven years, has cooked in kitchens including Suis Generis, Green Goddess and The Saint Hotel in the French Quarter. This is only the second time he’s worked with his son, who came from Los Angeles a few months ago to join the operation.
Adam Mayer told us about starting Latke Daddy, the pop-up’s menu, and developing his Donostia Supper Club.
Rising Sun channels some of Gauthier’s comfort food memories from places like Dante’s Kitchen and the Country Club. After hosting a dinner series with Dakar NOLA chef Serigne Mbaye during the pandemic, Gauthier saw how much potential the courtyard space could have for regular breakfast and lunch service. He plans to add a daily happy hour and pop-up burlesque entertainment in the near future. There’s a small pool outside, and towel rental is a menu option for guests who want to take a dip.
Gauthier, whose family has a foundation that supports education, arts and culture in the region, says that running Margaret Place and Rising Sun isn’t his primary source of income.
“This is a lifestyle business for me,” he says. “I’m not operating Rising Sun because it’s going to make a bunch of money. I live onsite and I like to look out my window to see a full courtyard of happy people. My wife and I are alternative people who don’t feel completely at home in some spaces. The culture is key here.”
While Gauthier’s onsite, he is letting other people lead. “The only person in charge here is our general manager, Kathleen Nagle,” he says. “Everybody has expertise, and we take a team approach to everything we do.”
