When you walk into the Municipal Market off Edgewood Avenue in Downtown Atlanta, your senses are almost on overload. The area is packed with more than a dozen food options, everything from fresh produce to bakery items to meat and seafood.
Ernest Dents hopes you’re in the mood for authentic New Orleans cuisine. His restaurant, Vieux Carre Bistro, delivers Cajun flavors using top quality products from Louisiana. Dents told us his experience in Cajun and Creole cuisine started at a young age.
“I’ve been cooking all my life. I started out at eight years old, cutting onions and potatoes with my grandmother.”
His goal is to bring the authentic flavors he grew up with in Laplace, Louisiana to people in the Atlanta area. “Bringing the food here from Louisiana has been great, because everyone comes to New Orleans to get New Orleans cuisine, and I was fortunate enough to learn how to cook it well.”
Dents said you can always count on him to deliver real New Orleans taste. “The number one thing we specialize in would be the gumbo. The gumbo has a lot of different seafood. We have the shrimp and crab pasta, alfredo pasta, and it’s a big seller, and we have the collard greens, and the best, cheesiest macaroni you’ll find, so I’ve been told.”
The restaurant industry was one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Vieux Carre Bistro was no exception. Throughout it all, Dents says he has continued to deliver great food and great service.
“If you have a great product and you believe in yourself, they will believe in you and a lot of people will come to you.”
If you’re in Downtown Atlanta, stop by Vieux Carre Bistro and show Ernest Dents some love. You won’t be disappointed if you love New Orleans cuisine. The City of Atlanta is lucky to have you, Ernest!
We met Ernest Dents and loved hearing his story. At Lucie, we believe in shining a light on all the good things people, businesses and nonprofits are doing around us. It’s what our name means… Lucie = Light!
We also believe in giving back. Our founder, Craig Lucie, is a big fan of fellow Southern Methodist University alum Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS shoes) and his one-for-one model. If you haven’t read his book, Start Something That Matters, put it on your list.
We launched the Lucie Series to highlight people like Ernest Dents. Every month, we are giving away a positive story. If you or someone you know would like to appear in the Lucie Series, please fill out the form here: https://luciecontent.com/contact
If you'd like to sponsor a story to appear in the Lucie Series and skip the line, fill out the form here: https://luciecontent.com/contact
