A Touch of Creole in the East Village

Saul Metnick for The Wall Street Journal

The finished caramel apple cast iron cake

Almost everything about Paul Gerard's Exchange Alley is a mix between New York and New Orleans. Its name is derived from Exchange Alley, a little-known street in the French Quarter where Mr. Gerard once lived. Its menu—an eclectic mix of New York cuisine with distinctly Creole touches—provides several intriguing dishes.

He met one of his business partners while working at a restaurant in Brooklyn and the other while working at Lilette, an acclaimed restaurant in New Orleans. Mr. Gerard left the Crescent City in 2005, just before Hurricane Katrina hit.

"I loved the little old places in New Orleans," he said. "But I knew I wanted to come home to New York. I just had that feeling for a while."

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Saul Metnick for The Wall Street Journal

Exchange Alley's caramel apple cast iron cake being prepared

Among the best dishes at Exchange Alley: a caramel apple flat iron cake ($11) that bursts with flavor. The french fry po'boy with dirty gravy, butter pickles and hot sauce ($15) may be the most creative of them all. Mr. Gerard said he discovered the dish, a favorite with customers, while just experimenting in the kitchen. If you want a delicious drink, check out the BBBQ ($9)—complete with beer, lime and barbecue bitters.

Just after Sandy hit and left the East Village in the dark, Mr. Gerard opened his kitchen. Using a generator, he served East Village residents for two nights. On the last night, he asked people to donate if they'd like. He received $300, enough to pay his workers to take taxis into the East Village.

"We cooked everything we had in our walk-in," he said. "It was pretty packed in here until after midnight."

Exchange Alley, 424 E. 9th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A; open for brunch Saturday and Sunday
between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; 212-228-8525.