Toups’ Meatery is a small neighborhood restaurant that always goes big, in its modern Cajun flavors, in its extraordinary community give back, in the personality that chef Isaac Toups and partner Amanda Toups bring to it.
Now, the Toups have a major new restaurant in the works that will be big by design, grand in scope and tacking in a different culinary direction.
The new restaurant is called Armada and it is planned for downtown New Orleans at 231 Carondelet St. It will be in the ground floor of what started in the 1920s as the Cotton Exchange Building, long ago converted to a hotel.
The historic New Orleans Cotton Exchange building is on Carondelet Street in downtown New Orleans. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Armada is slated to open late in the year, perhaps in November.
The menu will be a blend of Spanish and French cuisine, and the setting will be lux. It’s sizing up to a significant addition to the changing downtown dining scene.
Under a high ceiling Armada will have some 7,500 square feet and seating for 175 between the dining room, banquette booths, a private dining room and a big bar up front. There will be an open kitchen with a view to a rotisserie, one of the many items on the chef’s culinary wish list being built into the Armada concept.
A couple is working with local firm Studio West on the design.
The historic New Orleans Cotton Exchange building is on Carondelet Street in downtown New Orleans. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
For the menu, Isaac Toups is working closely with Shalika Sprowal, who will be Armada’s chef du cuisine. She is now executive chef for Toups Family Meal, the nonprofit community meal program the Toups created.
The chefs say they’re excited for what Armada can bring to the table, exploring both Spanish and French traditions. It will be distinct from the Louisiana and Cajun flavors at Toups’ Meatery.
“This is ‘Isaac takes on Europe,’” said Isaac Toups. “The Meatery has its own identity well set by now. This will be more refined.”
Making the menu
Still, expect plenty of meat. The chefs’ eyes seem to sparkle when discussing their menu ideas.
They’re working on rack of lamb with mustard and importing Iberico pork, not the cured type for jamon but fresh for cuts like secreto pork steaks. One menu anchor will be chuleton, the massive rib chop steak, the pride of Galicia and Basque country, where restaurants are built around this single dish.
Chef Isaac Toups of Toups’ Meatery, the modern Cajun restaurant in Mid-City.
Staff file photo by Michael DeMocker
Lump crab in a ceviche-like marinade and house-smoked oysters are more ideas in the works, and Armada will have its own pastry and bread program.
“The excitement for this is all the things I can’t do here at the Meatery, and realizing I can do them there,” Toups said.
Growing, feeding
Armada will be the first new restaurant from the Toups family since Toups South, which they operated from 2016 to 2019 inside the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in Central City.
Isaac Toups of Toups’ Meatery competed on Season 13 of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef,’ which was shot in California. He was named ‘fan favorite.’ (Photo by Andrew Eccles, Courtesy of Bravo)
The chef, a native of Rayne, Louisiana (“frog capital of the world!”), got his start cooking for Emeril Lagasse’s restaurants. In 2012, he and Amanda opened Toups’ Meatery in Mid-City, which quickly grew from a neighborhood favorite to a well-known dining destination. Toups gained national attention as a popular competitor on “Top Chef” and in 2018 published his cookbook “Chasing the Gator.”
Armada
231 Carondelet St., projected opening late 2025
Toups’ Meatery
845 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 252-4999
Dinner daily, lunch Mon.-Fri., brunch Sat., Sun.