|
Vienna Garden, 1101 N. Rampart St.
When Miss Gulledge took this photograph, probably around 1950, this handsome
Italianate building was
home to the Vienna Garden restaurant, which had operated on this site since at least 1931. The building
was first known as the Dupaquier House, named for its original owner, Dr. A. Dupaquier, who built it as a
residence in
1879.
In the 20th century, the building housed a series of restaurants and night clubs. Its most famous incarnation
was its tenure in the 1970s as Lu & Charlie's, a focal point
for modern jazz in New Orleans. Lu & Charlie's, owned by Charlie Bering, hosted such musicians as Ellis
Marsalis (and his son Wynton, who
played there while still in his teens), James Booker, Alvin Baptiste, and Lady B.J (just to name a few). The
jazz club closed in 1978, and in 1982, the
building underwent a major renovation and was reincarnated once again as Menefee's Restaurant and
Health Club. Currently, it houses the French Quarter Courtyard Hotel. |
![]() |
|