NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – In our fourth segment of August’s Katrina survivors series, we stopped in at a place in the Uptown that was literally brought back by post-it notes. Really! As folks trickled back into the city after Hurricane Katrina, they wanted to get back to a sense of “normalcy”. Part of getting back to normal for many New Orleanians involved taking a seat at the counter of the Camellia Grill on Carrollton Avenue and enjoying all the old favorites like an oversized omelette, a chocolate freeze, Pecan Pie with ice cream and many other gems from this beloved diner.
As folks passed each day waiting for this Uptown institution to open its doors once again, they started leaving simple little messages pleading for their old favorites. As the days turned into weeks, the notes piled up one by one until the front of Camellia Grill was covered with those sticky little notes. How is that for finding out just how much love you and your grub?
Once Camellia Grill was ready, they swung open the doors and started firing out those classic dishes the crowds were waiting for. Whether it was great sandwiches like the Doc Brinker, to those big sloppy omelettes, to chocolate feezes, to chili-cheese fries, to coconut pie folks were lined up and ready. The staff at Camellia Grill (many which have been there for years) were back and better than ever. And today, those post-it notes are still there too. This time as a beautiful artistic Camellia collage that is framed and in the corner. Head on down and check it out, then sit down and take in the restaurant and the food that prompted those post-it notes to pile up.
