Ian McNulty: With rum, bold Jamaican flavors, 14 Parishes expands to Algiers Point

The big brick building by the levee in Algiers Point has inspired a lot of neighborhood speculation as it sat empty through the years. It also sparked an idea for Lauren Blake.

She and her husband, Charles, run 14 Parishes, the Jamaican restaurant that’s become a hot spot on Oak Street for its way with jerk seasoning and rum cocktails. The plan for a second restaurant across the river quickly took root.

“Once I saw it, I knew what we could do here,” Lauren Blake said.

Now, the couple has developed the front portion of 801 Patterson Road into a vibrant new Jamaican restaurant for Algiers. It opened this month with limited hours, and a plan to expand to the full schedule in January (see below).

It’s part of a small, but very promising clutch of new restaurants for the neighborhood. Nighthawk Napoletana just opened by the ferry landing in the former Tavolino, and the Congregation Coffee café just reopened under new ownership around the corner from that.

Rum and spice

The new 14 Parishes is next to the large new residential development fronting the levee.

Under its high ceilings, the Blakes are cultivating a similar vibe to their Oak Street restaurant.

The bar is a big part of that, and this one is a zigzagging counter with a cocktail list of rum drinks in the forefront, like the bobsled, made with hibiscus tea and ginger.

The menu is largely the same, starting with salmon sliders, jerk wings and king fish (mackerel) bites. Jerk-style cooking, with its earthy spice and layered flavor, is worked through chicken, ribs and shrimp on the regular menu, but look also for chef Charles’ recurring specials like the jerk lamb chops and jerk N.Y. strip steak.

The whole snapper with brown sauce is a don’t-miss dish. The Jamaican brown sauce sings with chiles, ginger and garlic and a lot more.

What’s in a name?

The restaurant name refers to the 14 parishes that make up Jamaica, much like the parishes of Louisiana. St. Catherine Parish, near the capital of Kingston, is where Charles Blake grew up, the youngest of four boys. His mother instilled self-reliance in them, and that included how to cook.

Here’s how he explained it: “I cooked with her. Then every Sunday, Mom would say, ‘I’m going to church. You’re in charge of dinner — if you burn it, nobody eats.’ You had to learn.”

He moved to New York and later to Atlanta, where he ran his own restaurant. That’s where he met Lauren Blake, and eventually, they moved to her native New Orleans.

The move was a restart for them. Charles started cooking again, selling jerk plates from their home. They eventually developed this into 14 Parishes.

The couple initially had a restaurant on Clio Street in Central City, just off St. Charles Avenue, and later opened a stand in the Pythian Market. That downtown food hall closed last year.

But in 2021, during the pandemic, they made a big move by opening on Oak Street, bringing back to life the colorful two-story building that had been a Mellow Mushroom pizzeria.

This Algiers edition of 14 Parishes is now open Thursday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In January, hours will expand to dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with lunch on Friday and Saturday and brunch on Sunday.

14 Parishes

801 Patterson Road, (504) 345-2500

and

8227 Oak St., (504) 264-7457

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