Creole restaurant to replace Amphorae

Mediterranean eatery Amphorae Restaurant closed this month, after only four months in operation. Owner Sinan Ozsesgin, who also owns Isabella’s Pizzeria, said that the stress of running two restaurants was simply too high. The restaurant’s location on East Petroleum Boulevard, close to Highland Road, was sold to Wayne Stabiler, who plans to open a restaurant called, fittingly, La Creole. The new restaurant, which Stabiler hopes to open within the next 30 days, will feature high-end Creole cuisine served within a family atmosphere and have a kitchen headed up by a former Commander’s Palace chef. “I thought the location was fantastic, and I’m really excited about getting started,” says Stabiler. The menu will have a heavy emphasis on seafood, especially local seafood like blue crab, redfish and shrimp. “Our goal is to have as much gulf seafood on the menu as possible,” Stabiler says. Planned dishes include shrimp and grits; its lunch menu will feature flatbreads, gourmet salads and a “spectacular” oyster stew. Keep your eyes on 225 Dine for updates.