When back in December New Orleans chef Chris DeBarr said he would bring a waffle-focused menu of "bitter circus" cuisine to Americano, the new East Burnside bar by Blair Reynolds (Hale Pele) and Ian Christopher (Coco Donuts), some said it was too good to be true. It appears it was: DeBarr has left the kitchen, and Americano tells Eater John Willis (Navarre, Luce) is taking over the burners to serve a menu equally inspired by Italian cuisine and the vermouth bars of Spain.
"While our opening food menu played with a much broader international cuisine," lead bartender Kate Bolton says, "our new food menu follows a more Italian and American flare, to closely align with our original concept."
Out of the gates Americano has been focused on the coffee and alcohol beverages by the same name—both of which stem from Italian and American roots, without any direct connection to circuses of any kind.
So expect new brunch and dinner menus coming soon, with many new dishes already coming out of the kitchen from Willis. Americano says it'll serve egg benedicts and waffles at brunch, and antipasti, small bites, and large plates in the evening. All dishes are designed to pair well with the drinks on its expansive coffee and cocktail menus, too.