Upscale dining hall, The Hall on Mag, takes over former Auction House Market on Magazine Street

NEW ORLEANS (NOLA WEEKEND) - A new upscale dining hall breathes new life into the shuttered Auction House Market in the Warehouse District.

The Hall on Mag, the highly-anticipated, Black-owned food hall from entrepreneur Jamal Wilson, opens at 801 Magazine Street.

The new development was first announced in July after the Auction House Market’s management said in March the location would close after four years.

With the opening of the Hall on Mag, Wilson aims to elevate the food hall concept inside the 8,800-square-foot location.

“New Orleans is one of the most exciting food landscapes in the country and it’s somewhere I knew we had to be,” Wilson said in a release. “It’s been a labor of love watching this location come to life and we are excited to showcase our elevated dining experience in a city known for its Southern hospitality.”

Overall, operators kept much of the space’s layout the same, aside from new branding and decorative accents. The location still features a full-service, central wrap-around bar and various food booths around the venue.

What’s different is how the new food hall will operate. Diners can choose from six curated food experiences showcasing cuisine from across the world -- everything from Italian fusion to Japanese street food. Unlike the traditional food hall experience, The Hall on Mag offers hosts to greet and seat and full-service dining, where servers come to guests for their orders.

The six kitchens are South & Common, which serves Southern faire comfort food; modern Italian fusion vendor Amato Italia; Japanese street food and sushi tenant Jai Nai; American Culture, which serves elevated American cuisine; Itzayana Fluffy Taco, serving Mexican street food and Mediterranean seafood concept El Greco.

Diners are encouraged to curate their own experience, operators say, which could mean ordering from a variety of kitchens or choosing from a different tenant each visit.

Menu items at the different eateries include options like oyster po-boys, basil arancini, sushi fried, chicken pot pie or the show-stopping flaming Saganaki cheese with citrus hot honey, figs and warm pita.

In addition, the food hall features a raw bar and shareables that diners can order a la carte. A spokesperson said diners can also expect a rotating seasonal menu at the different kitchens and at the bar, which features creative cocktails like the gin-based Rosemary’s Baby and the Southern Sunset made with reposado tequila.

The adjacent event space, also known as “The Library,” has been elegantly fashioned as an area with overflow seating, which also includes a cocktail bar. From the posh decor to the carefully curated dishes, everything is meant to be Instagram-worthy, according to a spokesperson.

In 2017, Wilson first opened his first location in Tampa, the Hall on Franklin, with the goal to revolutionize the food hall dining concept. Most recently, he expanded into Orlando with The Hall on The Yard last year. In addition to The Hall On Mag, Wilson also announced plans to open two locations in Atlanta this year.

Operators say they are currently hiring for all front and back-of-house positions.

The Hall on Mag is open for lunch, happy hour, dinner and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hours of operation are Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Hall on Mag is closed on Tuesdays.

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