La Petite Grocery

The story

La Petite Grocery in New Orleans: A Modern American Classic on Magazine Street

A History on the Corner

The name La Petite Grocery is a direct nod to the building it calls home. On the corner of Magazine and General Pershing Streets, this Creole-style cottage began its life in the late 1800s as the Central Tea, Coffee and Butter Depot, later becoming a beloved grocery and butcher shop. After a devastating fire in 1908, the structure was rebuilt and eventually, in 2004, reopened as a restaurant. Chef Justin Devillier and his wife Mia took ownership of this Uptown New Orleans institution in 2010, following their work to rebuild it after Hurricane Katrina.

The Food and the Chef

Chef Devillier, a 2016 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: South, brings a creative, refined touch to traditional New Orleans cuisine. The menu is grounded in local ingredients and technique, with dishes that have become signatures. The Turtle Bolognese—tagliatelle with sherry, parsley, and a fried soft-boiled egg—is a standout, as are the Blue Crab Beignets with malt vinegar aioli. Other offerings, like the Panéed Rabbit and the Shellfish Stew with Gulf shrimp and blue crab, showcase the chef’s respect for the region’s bounty.

The Space and Team

The restaurant’s atmosphere is described by the New York Post as a “charming space” run like a family business. The team is led by Devillier and his wife Mia, who serves as Director of Operations, alongside Executive Chef Joseph Tiedmann and Pastry Chef Bronwyn Muirhead. The restaurant has earned consistent acclaim, including a spot on Eater’s list of the 38 Best Restaurants in America and a Michelin Recommended award, solidifying its place as a destination for contemporary American dining in New Orleans.