Veteran New Orleans Chef Readies Kitchen in Severn

It’s been 20 years since Rusty Evers left the Big Easy, but her drawl is still apparent. And her love of authentic, homemade New Orleans food never went away.

The veteran chef has manned kitchens from Tampa to Sydney, Australia, and is now bringing her recipes to Severn.

The New Orleans Kitchen and French Market is on track to open later this month on Telegraph Road, offering fresh classics including po’ boys, bread pudding and muffaletta sandwiches.

“I just want it to be real,” she said inside the kitchen, which is undergoing a heavy renovation in the spot next to Carlson’s Donuts. “I’m so sick of every pseudo New Orleans restaurant … this is how it’s supposed to be.”

Evers, 60, brings some credibility. She grew up in the uptown section of New Orleans and has spent much of the last quarter century as a professional chef and caterer. Most recently, she worked in Tampa and Manhattan, dishing out Cajun food at major corporate events featuring celebrities from Diane Sawyer to Harrison Ford. She was executive chef at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, and also spent a few years in Australia, where she created a buzz when she opened one of the few Cajun restaurants on the continent.

She recently moved to Severn with some family members, and decided to open the new kitchen with her nieces, Tessa and Tiffany.

“I had a great run, I really did,” she said. “I guess you could say this is full circle for me. I just reached a point where I said, ‘you know, I just want to go and make some po’ boys.”

Indeed, Evers said she wants to start out primarily as a spot for the classic sandwiches, which are traditionally served on French bread with heaps of roast beef, fried shrimp, crawfish or other ingredients. She plans to use fresh roast beef from sirloin tips, with a homemade stock. All seafood will also be fresh.

The New Orleans Kitchen will have seating for 50, plus some tables out front.

Evers plans to import many items directly from New Orleans, including coffee, sausages and beer, while also relying on local farmers for fresh vegetables.

The restaurant is seeking final approvals from Anne Arundel County to open, and could be ready for business by April 10.

Evers plans to start off with the New Orleans basics, but will introduce new items over time. Initially, the restaurant won’t be open on Sundays, but she said a Sunday brunch could come in the future. She hopes to plan a crawfish festival for the community, and plans to bolster her array of desserts, from bread pudding with whiskey sauce to Italian wedding cake cupcakes.

“This is not a place you come to if you’re on a big diet,” she joked.