Wild South is the latest restaurant from Here Today Hospitality. It’s helmed by Michael Stoltzfus, a seven-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee for “Best Chef: South” at his flagship restaurant Coquette, as well as Jason Kaplan, Ryan Plas and Becky Brooks-Macris and Chef Bret Macris. Wild South will offer a five-course tasting menu, a three-course prix-fixe menu, and an à la carte bar menu that highlights seasonal ingredients from across the South’s fertile landscape.

Little Moon Oyster Roast. Photo by James Collier for Paprika Studios.

Wild South is in the space that used to be home to another tasting menu restaurant, Lengua Madre, from chef Ana Castro and Stoltzfus. Castro was ready to move on from Lengua Madre and will open another restaurant called Acamaya, in partnership with her sister Lydia, later this year.

In pivoting the space on Constance Street into a new concept, Stoltzfus wanted to create a restaurant that celebrates south Louisiana. A smaller menu will let the team focus on local purveyors and dial into regional flavors and traditions. The tasting menu-style will make getting to know Chef Bret Macris’ vision for Wild South easy. Tasting menus like the one at Wild South have become popular in New Orleans in the past years with Mosquito Supper Club, Dakar and Saint-Germain regularly topping “best of” New Orleans restaurant lists. The team at Wild South will also add a more casual lunch menu that will be available à la carte for Saturday lunch.

The menu changes weekly, however Stoltzfus said diners should expect an array of south Louisiana food such as Gulf seafood, oysters, rabbit and quail.

Gulf Shrimp and Strawberries with Caviar. Photo by James Collier for Paprika Studios.

Stoltzfus explained, “The idea is to take these ingredients that are home in south Louisiana and treat them a little differently than they would be traditionally. We’re not making rabbit fricassee or gumbo, we’re doing different things with it and pulling from different influences. We want to keep it very light, and the food will definitely reflect [Executive Chef] Bret Macris’ vision.”

Sample menu highlights include Tuna ‘Nduja with sweet potato rolls, herb butter, and pickles; Krusty Krab with lump crab, shrimp butter, crème fraiche and trout roe; Rosemary-Charred Shrimp with chili, lemon, and bottarga; Mushroom Toast with cured grouper, quail egg and green garlic; Rabbit Loin and Sausage with sauce lechon and toasted purple kale; and Sweet Potato Tart with dark chocolate, pecan and ginger.

Bar manager Jason Kaplan oversees Wild South’s bar program and cocktails, and wine director Ryan Plas curates the restaurant’s wine selection. Stoltzfus explains that the cocktails are classically-focused with a twist, such as a martini made with sherry. There’s also an emphasis on low-proof and non-alcoholic pairings for diners who want the full experience of a cocktail pairing with the tasting menu without the buzz.

“A lot of times people drink because they want something interesting or they want something that will entice the palate,” Stoltzfus said. “For our non-alcoholic pairings, we’re going to make sodas and different in-house beverages that we’ll be supplementing with other outside sources. There are some companies making amazing kombucha that will be poured from a 750-milliliter bottle that gives the customer the same experience as enjoying wine, minus the alcohol.”

Cobia photo by James Collier for Paprika Studios.

Once Wild South finds its feet, Stoltzfus hopes it will be an approachable space that both locals and visitors can enjoy.

He said, “I think one of the biggest things we learned with Lengua Madre was that the food was beautiful, but it wasn’t always easy to access. We want to make sure Wild South is a lot more accessible on a regular basis and it’s there for the neighborhood, not just in spite of it.”

Wild South 1245 Constance Street, (504) 655-1338. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.