Hello Blake,
Your article on Uglesich’s (June 3) reminded me of another long-forgotten place, Kolb’s on St. Charles Avenue. Who was Kolb and what is the history of the restaurant?
Dear Reader,
Conrad Kolb was born in Bavaria in 1874. At the age of 15 he was orphaned and came to New Orleans as a deckhand on a French steamship. In 1894 he took a job in a saloon run by Valentine Merz, the founder of the Dixie Brewery. Merz’s establishment was located at 125 St. Charles Ave., the former home of the Louisiana Jockey Club.
In 1899, Kolb bought the business from Merz and changed the name to Kolb’s. His restaurant became known for its German cuisine and decor, including a collection of beer steins and a system of ceiling fans he purchased at the 1884 World’s Centennial Industrial and Cotton Exposition. A stuffed Bavarian figure nicknamed “Ludwig” appeared to control the pulley system that kept the fans running.
During World War I, anti-German sentiment nearly ruined Kolb’s business. “Stories circulated freely about the prussic acid and ground glass that loyal Americans would consume if they had this friendly Hun as a customer,” said an October 1938 editorial in the New Orleans Item, which paid tribute to Kolb after his death. The paper called it “foolishness and villainy” and explained how Kolb suffered “both emotionally and financially.”
Kolb’s family ran the restaurant until the 1950s. It became known for its Creole and seafood dishes as well as traditional German fare. It had a strong local clientele, including businessmen for lunch. Kolb’s changed hands several times before being purchased by local investors Claude Kelly Jr., Edgar Casey and Piet Kessels in 1981.
In 1994, the restaurant filed for bankruptcy and its contents were auctioned off. The building remains empty.
