Almost twenty years ago, a young Reuben Laws was taking a break from working on his uncle’s sugar cane farm, poised on a picnic bench at the local country store alongside the local farmers in Bayou Sale, Louisiana. While listening to the farmers chat about their health, their work, and thirteen-foot alligators, the young Laws bit into his first piece of boudin and formed one of his most enduring memories of childhood. The country store, simply called The Store, was a place for the locals, or “natives”, to take a break from the grind of harvesting sugarcane and find the nourishment of community and food before returning to work refreshed.

Depending on one’s location and the time, locals or “natives” can take the form of alligator-hunting farmers taking a midday lunch break, forging a sense of community in the microcosm of an eatery, upholding the principles of community. The locals can also be the suit-clad men and women of the New Orleans Central Business District (CBD), hands attached to Blackberries, discussing business and legal issues while grabbing a bite to eat before returning to the office. The eateries that groups of locals visit again and again on lunch breaks are not only sure bets for delicious local food but also houses for the moments that construct the fabric of our food-obsessed city.

When the beloved bastion of his youth failed to reopen after Hurricane Rita, Laws opened his own restaurant, located in the CBD, in its memory. Like the original, he simply calls it The Store. Backed by an impressive culinary resume in the New Orleans fine dining circuit, Laws serves breakfasts that boast of fresh beignets in brown paper bags and delicious egg dishes, and lunches that nourish the souls and stomachs of even the most stressed out member of the CBD community. Laws’ signature dish is the Shrimp and Grits, which he serves for both breakfast and lunch. In Laws’ interpretation of the South Carolina lowcountry dish, the shrimp are crisp and the creamy grits are graced with a creole cream sauce. Laws’ mastery of typical Louisiana dishes, as well as his ability to manipulate them is apparent in his two versions of the ubiquitous shrimp poboy. The recently debuted BBQ shrimp version toys with textures. In it, he combines crisp shrimp and stewed collard greens, which add a welcome hint of earthy sweetness. It is accompanied by a warm bowl of traditional Louisiana BBQ shrimp sauce. The fried shrimp poboy is also noteworthy. Instead of the standard lettuce dressing, this one is dressed with “remoulade-marinated purple cabbage.”

In addition to dishes like the poboy, The Store also provides an assortment of lighter fare. The Apple and Brie Salad is served with fresh spinach and a warm bacon vinaigrette. The apples are julienned and the brie is served on delicate toast points. While it may be impossible to tire of regular menu items like the Buffalo Burger, the South Carolina style Pulled Pork sandwich, and the Smoked Salmon Salad, The Store offers daily specials like Crawfish Risotto with diced tomatoes, steamed asparagus, and shaved parmesan cheese. Surrounded by hamburger joints and uninspired delis, The Store has become the CBD’s sanctuary to the midday break.

As I sit at The Store, poised on a bar stool, decadently dipping my BBQ shrimp poboy in its ample bowl of accompanying sauce, alternating bites of it with sips of red wine, upbeat music is audible over the lively voices of the patrons, telling their own colorful stories. Watching the locals discuss their business, their health, and the huge case they may be working on, experiencing the nourishment of superb food, I cannot help feeling that a sense of community has been forged over Laws’ generous gift of a restaurant to the CBD.

814 Gravier Street, New Orleans CBD; (504) 322-2446
ATMOSPHERE clean and modern while paying homage to the past
RECOMMENDED DISHES buffalo burger, bbq shrimp poboy, apple and brie salad, shrimp and grits
BEVERAGES Wine and beer available.
PRICE RANGE Sandwiches, $7.25 to $8.75. Salads, $7.25 to $9.75. Specials, $8.75 to $12.25.
HOURS Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Catering available. Shrimp and Grits served all day.
CREDIT CARDS All major credit cards, except Discover.
WI-FI Free wi-fi.