Long-awaited French-Creole restaurant now open in downtown Tacoma. Try the fried catfish

The whimsical logo of a lobster claw, clam shell and fish tail peeking out of the pot has teased downtown Tacoma for many months, but Chez Lafayette has finally swung open the doors at 1101 Tacoma Ave. S.

Described as a Creole brasserie, the ambitious new restaurant is the younger sister to Bourbon Street Creole Kitchen, which has served New Orleans specialties — including a raucous Mardi Gras celebration — for a decade. Brothers Mikey and Jehan de Alwis with their father Mike de Alwis set their sights on Tacoma last spring.

Mikey has led the design and ideation of this venture in addition to building the beverage program, which focuses on small-producer wines and the same high-caliber cocktails that regulars of Bourbon Street have come to know. His brother, who has worked in top kitchens in London for several years, created the food menu, which takes cues from the Puyallup restaurant but with a modernized, polished approach.

They are serving a limited menu to start, but it won’t leave you wanting.

The house salad features a custom blend of gem lettuce, firm radicchio and textural frisée tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette with “a little Creole spice.” It’s finished with toasted Oregon hazelnuts and fresh herbs “to bring it all together,” said Mikey de Alwis, adding, “I hate the normal salad mix.”

That mentality permeates the initial offerings.

You can get a catfish main — broiled, with a butter-laced pecan crust, served with haricot verts and a caper-speckled sauce — but you would be truly remiss to skip the fried catfish plate, an ideal appetizer (or standalone snack). Jehan called them simple; I might say divine. These nuggets are cut to be one or two bites each, carefully cooked in a light and airy spiced-cornmeal batter and ready to dip into a lickable Cajun tartar.

Other starters include a massive plate of oysters Rockefeller, sourced from Taylor Shellfish and baked in a rich pesto with parmesan and breadcrumbs and paired with Macrina baguette, as well as a summer panzanella.

From the mains — although these are also easily shareable — sink into the étouffée, swimming quite literally with crawfish tails and Manila clams from Northern Seafood, which Jehan notes are particularly flavorful thanks to a fresh cook in homemade stock. There is also a fried chicken and gumbo combo plate, and a blackened steak with crispy potatoes and a green peppercorn jus.

Not to leave vegetarians in the cold, the jambalaya-stuffed peppers offer a unique spin on the classic New Orleans dish. Completely meat-free, Jehan fills long peppers with rice “cooked in a vibrant Creole tomato sauce” with unexpected zing from pickled okra.

Po’boys round out the opening menu, with a choice of shrimp, catfish or roast beef, served with Poppa Mike’s Cajun chippies.

To drink, enjoy a glass of sweet tea or a nuanced low-ABV spritzer of vermouth blanc, elderflower, lemon and grapefruit. Wines lean into small producers with an emphasis not on France but rather on Spain and Portugal. A crisp Pansa Blanca from Catalonia, often used in cava, was a refreshing accompaniment to all of the above.

The space, which was previously 3uilt and before that Tower Bar and Grill, feels like it has finally met its match. Long and narrow with loads of natural light and an unexpected view of downtown and the bay, it reminded the elder de Alwis of shotgun homes that dot New Orleans, where he lived for many years before moving to the Northwest, eventually opening the family’s first restaurant in downtown Puyallup.

They did a lot of work, expanding the kitchen and installing all-new equipment. An offshoot area in the back eventually will provide a private dining room complete with its own little bar. The original plan involved turning the adjacent unit, which has its own entrance, into a coffee shop with beignets, but for now that project is on hold.

Mikey has brought in pleasant aesthetic touches, including peachy walls with pops of teal, bistro-style chairs with woven cane backs, old Craftsman doors repurposed into bench seating and shutters that transport you to the Crescent City. Ceiling fans — already here, but still — add to the ambiance. Best of all, in addition to plenty of dining room space, de Alwis has carved out a bar in the front, where stools, I hope, will be coveted in the months to come.

CHEZ LAFAYETTE

▪ 1101 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253-329-1386, instagram.com/chez.lafayette

▪ Starting Hours : Monday-Thursday noon-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday noon-8 p.m.

▪ Menu : most dishes $13-$26, wine and cocktails $12-$14

▪ What to know : walk-ins welcome; extended hours and menu to come