NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With the New Orleans still in the dark since Hurricane Ida wiped out Entergy power lines on Sunday, French Quarter restaurant, Doris Metropolitan, decided to donate its entire inventory of premium steaks to first responders and local residents on Wednesday.
The planned three-hour event only lasted half that time due to the overwhelming response. The giveaway was held so that the restaurants high-end cuts of meat would not be wasted and spoil due to a lack of power in the city following catastrophic damage caused by the category 4 hurricane.
“We dry-age our own steaks on property. Unfortunately with no power, you can’t keep any of those steaks cold, so we moved everything to where we could keep it cold to take an inventory of it really quick,” restaurant general manager Melissa Rogers told WGNO. “The idea was kind of born to do a big donation with it and not really have any of it go to waste.”
The premium eatery’s goal was to service first responders, service industry locals and anyone that has supported the restaurant and others like it since the pandemic began more than a year and a half ago.
“We set up this big donation and started around noon today, and by 2 p.m. we were all out of meat and by about 3 p.m. we were completely out of produce as well,” said Rogers. “Really great turnout. The city showed up and we are left with nothing.
“We didn’t want to throw anything away.”
One lucky local who capitalized on the freebie was native New Orleanian and private chef, Robert Percy.
“I got the steak from Doris,” Percy told WGNO while grilling in his French Quarter courtyard an hour after stopping by the restaurant. “They were giving it away because the inventory without refrigeration would have spoiled. So they did what the smart thing was and they rather give it away than throw it away.
“It was great, man. It felt like we aren’t even in a hurricane.
“Who needs power when you are eating like this?”