Well, this came out of nowhere.
The City Paper reports that celebrity chef Alex McCoy is closing Cajun spot Tchoup’s Market on Dec. 23, and will be giving up the lease when it expires in 2017. They’ll be hosting various private dinners and pop-ups until then.
This is the exact opposite of what McCoy said when Alfie’s closed in June, which was frustrating to its fans. At that time, McCoy said they love the neighborhood and are not leaving. Here’s a comment on that blog post in response to someone saying McCoy doesn’t like Park View:
Quite the opposite, actually. We love this neighborhood. Extended our lease and are staying longer. Our team, both FOH and BOH will be staying with the new concept and i can’t tell you how excited we are for what we have planned to replace Alfie’s and for what we have planned at Upshur. Alfie’s was always planned to be a temporary popup and the choice to move downtown was only made because the facilities at Upshur are not adequate nor will we have the space to build a full kitchen. Our partnership has been active in the community & plans to continue to be. So, if you are looking for someone who loves Parkview and wants to partner with the community to keep the neighborhood thriving, you dont need to look much farther. We are already here and have been here. Looking forward to serving you! Alex from Alfie’s
And on Twitter, he said at the time that they’re not leaving and love the neighborhood, plus something similar on Facebook. I guess the “not leaving” and “love” parts only extend until May 2017.
What else is strange is that the City Paper says the move is so they can focus on the new location of Alfie’s, but they still don’t know where it will be. McCoy will instead be popping up Alfie’s in New York, London and Bangkok in the future.
Tchoup’s has also been the home of the Nok Noi Thai noodle pop-up on Wednesdays and Thursdays. That will presumably also be going away.
The article also doesn’t mention the British sandwich place he was supposedly opening on Upshur Street, just that he owns the building. That doesn’t seem like a great sign either.
If you like the Tchoup’s food or vibe, better check it out soon. Or don’t, he doesn’t seem to care either way.
UPDATE: On Twitter they told me they’re currently working on the British sandwich place on Upshur, so at least a small bright spot.
