Creole and Cajun cuisine has been around since the mid-1800s.[] The best place to trace its origin is New Orleans, Louisiana. Cajun and Creole recipes are influenced by: French, Spanish, German, African and Italian contributions.[] New Orleans is a place where people live to eat and where life is easy. Dining is part of New Orleans culture and you're sure to find a place to find a love of food. These days, New Orleans menus vary from corner to corner. There are so many choices it's hard to believe any restaurant could have survived all these years. However, there is one restaurant that has been with New Orleans since the beginning of its exquisite cuisine. Antoine's is a family-owned Creole-French restaurant with over 174 years of success in the city.[] As we delve into the history of Antoine's, we'll discover what keeps customers coming back to this place. Antoine's is one of the oldest families running restaurants in the United States.[] It was founded in 1840 by Antoine Alciatore, a French immigrant. His main inspiration was to bring a little of his country to New Orleans. It was a great help to him that the city was already populated by French speakers; French cuisine was naturally the next thing introduced to the city. He and his wife, Jules Alciatore, like so many others, came to America in search of wealth and prosperity.[] Pension Alciatore was the name of their first establishment and the aromatic smells that wafted from their kitchen brought New Orleans to the door. In 1868, with the increase in population, the restaurant's official location became permanent on Saint-Louis Street; this is where the restaurant is located today. What makes Antoine's restaurant successful? As a restaurant, Landmar...... middle of paper...... Depression and more recently the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. [] Even though 40% of its business was lost after Hurricane Katrina ($14 million in damage), this devastation did not prevent the restaurant from rebuilding itself and carrying out some renovations. Some changes Katrina made to restaurants include: the addition of Jazz Brunch and Hermes Bar, the only menu written in Creole now with English translations, prices decreased moderately, and the coat and tie rule n 'is more applied but definitely. not suppress it.[] Overall, Antoine's proved the reason he has been around for so long. Adapting to the city, the people and the events, the restaurant has preserved its family traditions for centuries. Their success in food, service and location has given the restaurant a positive reputation that is hard to break..