Saying that 2020 was rough on the restaurant industry is an understatement.
It was quite frankly devastating, and some beloved culinary institutions didn't make it to 2021.
Here are some of the local-favorite restaurants we won't get the chance to visit again post-pandemic.
New Orleans is on nearly every "Top 10 Cities to Eat" list.
The downside is a place with a culinary landscape so rich meant it was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.
One of the most iconic restaurants in the city, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, failed to
survive the Covid onslaught, forced to close its doors forever after serving up incredible
food for 41 years.
Executive Chef Paul Prudhomme opened K-Paul's with his wife in 1979, and it was a near-instant success.
The 1984 cookbook Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen popularized the blackening of proteins worldwide.
K-Paul's also holds the title as the first ever pop-up restaurant.
The eatery was so astonishingly successful that Prudhomme and his staff would take it
on the road for months at a time, and in every city he went, there were lines around the
block eager to try his delicious Louisiana cooking.
There are obviously still lots of places to snag shrimp creole or jambalaya throughout
New Orleans, but any loyal K-Paul's customer would likely say they're not quite up to the
standard of Prudhomme's.
"The reason why people to this day think about Cajun food...is due in large part to what Chef Paul did."
What made Los Angeles' Plum Tree Inn such a fantastic destination was its authenticity.
Patrons didn't have to travel overseas to snag authentic Chinese cuisine, which was
why so many people were devastated when the coronavirus wiped this Chinatown destination off the map.
For 40 years, president and owner Mark Ting put smiles on the faces of everyone who graced the dining room.
The Szechuan specialties were so popular that additional locations sprang up.
But Ting was forced to issue the following statement in June 2020:
"Our dedicated staff, loyal customers and the Chinatown and downtown communities have
been the backbone of our restaurant's success and we appreciate all of the support everyone
has shown us over the past 40 years.
It is with a heavy heart to announce that with these uncertain times, we have made the
difficult decision to close our doors permanently.
We are incredibly grateful to have shared so many wonderful memories with each one of you."
Chicago's Michelin-rated Blackbird was unfortunately in a unique position that made it particularly
vulnerable to the ravages of the pandemic.
The dining room and kitchen were small and intimate, which made them the perfect places
for a virus to quickly spread.
Over its 22 years in business, guests as famous as Barack Obama and Michael Jordan enjoyed meals there.
When Kevin Boehm, co-founder of Illinois' Boka Restaurant Group, learned of the closing,
he posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, that read, in part:
"It's difficult to overstate the importance of Blackbird to Chicago's current dining scene
[...] it never lost its relevance or its cool ... and inspired many young Chefs and Restaurateurs,
I know it did me."
Uncle Boons, a popular Thai food spot in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, New York,
was started by chefs Ann Redding and Matt Danzer in 2013, and earned a Michelin star
just two years later.
But a dispute with the building's landlord after Covid struck sent the restaurant to
the chopping block.
The chefs issued this farewell statement:
"We are so grateful for the accolades and nominations; however, they are meaningless
without the people who make a restaurant work and who make guests want to come back.
[...] Despite our good standing, we were not able to reach a manageable agreement with
our landlord that takes into account the complexities of running a restaurant under the limitations
of COVID-19."
The chefs do have another restaurant called Uncle Boons Sister that still remains open
for takeout and delivery.
It's just a shame the star of the show couldn't hang around.
The Brookville Hotel in Abilene, Kansas, was originally called the Cowtown Cafe, and it's
reputation for great food began in 1894, after Gus and Mae Magnuson took over.
Mae's cooking drew crowds.
Then, in 1915, the couple's daughter, Helen, introduced "Family Style Chicken Dinners"
and business exploded.
Sadly, this spot known for some of the best fried chicken around couldn't power through the pandemic.
Fourth-generation owners Mark and Connie Martin left the following message on the hotel's Facebook page:
"It is with a very heavy heart that we must announce that the Covid, and the lack of traffic
has forced us to close.
We hung on as long as we could, but the writing was on the wall.
We would like to thank everyone for your patronage of the Brookville Hotel over the last 125
years that the Martin family has operated it.
Mark is grieving over this decision and the fate of our employees.
Please keep him and them in your prayers.
We have been a part of so many family celebrations over the years and we will miss you all.
Thank you for making us part of your families."
"I didn't realize that the end of September would be the end of Brookville."
No, it wasn't a Casablanca tribute restaurant.
Owners Lien Ta and Jonathan Whitener served amazing Korean food at this L.A. spot that
exploded in popularity thanks to dishes such as smoked beef tongue, carrot curry, and blood cake.
The place even snagged a spot on the coveted "Eater's Essential 38" list.
Unfortunately, the pandemic proved too much stress to keep the doors open.
In an interview with Eater, Ta explained the struggles of working in a small cramped space
when a virus was on the loose:
"The takeout model just wasn't working.
I do not see a safe way to reopen dining rooms and continue with full service.
And if we can't operate the way that we used to, sustain the way that we used to, I don't
know how else to do this."
Ta also bluntly admitted that the owners didn't have enough cash on hand to pay the rent,
and rent deferral was not an option for them.
John's Famous Stew was opened in Indianapolis in 1911 by Macedonian brothers who wanted
to share the cast-iron kettle beef stew their mother made back in their homeland.
The most recent owner, Mary Caito, took over for her father, who purchased the business
in 1975 from the brothers.
Customers were left with this heartfelt message from Caito after the official closing:
"It is with a heavy heart I share that we will not be reopening.
It has been our pleasure serving you over the past 40 plus years.
Thank you for all the memories.
This was an enormous decision on my part.
I am really hoping a new passionate buyer has the excitement that my dad had for it
his whole life, and keeps making the stew and foods so that people continue to enjoy
it."
A hearty helping of something soul-warming would be a big help right now, so hopefully
a buyer will step up.
The closing of Oatley's in Rhode Island was especially devastating.
For 44 years, the Oatley family proudly served locals and tourists great cuisine, and their
all-day-breakfast was a special draw that regulars were always fond of.
This familial legacy made the closing much harder.
The most recent owner, Vaughn Oatley, shared his frustrations in an interview with the
Providence Journal, saying:
"It's very bittersweet, and sad.
I've now run the restaurant longer than my father.
But it comes down to this, do I take my retirement savings and put it into the restaurant?
I'm 55 years old, I don't have that much time to make it up again."
The Facebook post announcing the eatery's closing asked fans to share their memories of the place.
Vaughn said he would pursue a different venture after Oatley's closed its doors, proudly stating,
"I'm a farmer at heart."
Vickie's was one of the oldest diners in Las Vegas, so even seasoned Vegas veterans would
likely remember the name.
The pharmacy that housed the diner, White Cross Drugs, reportedly saw members of the
Rat Pack and Elvis Presley cross its doors during its heyday.
Vickie Kelesis, the most recent owner, changed the name from Tiffany's to Vickie's when she
took over in 2014, but the clientele never dwindled.
"The people who work here are very friendly.
And you can see them cooking."
"It's an old-fashioned diner."
And of course, no one who ever dined at Vickie's could forget the odd art on the wall known
only as "That Painting."
Unfortunately, the building's landlord ordered the entire operation to leave as the pandemic raged.
But there's some good news.
Facebook posts indicate Vickie's will reopen in a different location.
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