Hey Blake,
Your article about Uglesich’s brought to mind another long-lost 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, Germany, in 1874. Orphaned at 15, he came to New Orleans as a deckhand on a French steamship. In 1894, he took a job at a saloon run by Valentine Merz, 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 its name to Kolb’s. His restaurant became well-known for its German food and décor, including a collection of beer steins and a system of ceiling fans purchased from the 1884 World Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition. A stuffed Bavarian character nicknamed “Ludwig” appeared to be controlling the pulley system that kept the fans running.
Beer steins were part of the decoration at Kolb’s
During World War I, anti-German sentiment nearly killed Kolb’s business. “Stories circulated freely of the prussic acid and ground glass that loyal Americans would be eating if they patronized this genial Hun,” explained an October 1938 editorial in The New Orleans Item paying tribute to Kolb upon his death. The newspaper called it “stupidity and scoundrelism,” explaining how Kolb suffered “both sentimentally and financially.”
Kolb’s family ran the restaurant until the 1950s. It became known for its Creole and seafood dishes in addition to traditional German fare. It retained a strong local clientele, including businessmen at lunch. Kolb’s changed hands several times before local investors Claude Kelly Jr., Edgar Casey and Piet Kessels purchased it in 1981.
In 1994, the restaurant filed for bankruptcy and its contents were auctioned off. The building remains vacant.
The event was created to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine in 1995.
Rick's was known for the collection of lunch boxes that lined its walls.