Celebrated New York Chef Will Open Mexican Restaurant in The Standard

Akhtar Nawab was a protege of celebrity chef Tom Colicchio. David Chang of Momofuku fame considers him a mentor. Nawab has restaurants in New York, D.C. and Birmingham, Ala.

His next move? A Mexican restaurant in New Orleans’ The Standard building at the South Market District development.

“We’re eager to spend time there to get to know the community,” Nawab said. “We want to be part of a community that seems very tight with food and very tight with each other.”

The restaurant, which will open in early 2019, does not yet have a name.

Nawab said his New Orleans restaurant will be similar to Alta Calidad, his Brooklyn restaurant where he cooks inventive Mexican cuisine.

“We’ve created our own version that is still rooted in the big flavors that you associate with (Mexican cuisine),” he said.