The Under-the-Radar Brennan at Mr. B’s
Managing partner of Mr. B’s Bistro in the French Quarter, Cindy Brennan
July 2026Cindy Brennan, the managing partner of one of New Orleans’ favorite restaurants, reflects on family, hospitality, and nearly 50 years of success.
– by Kim Ranjbar
This column is underwritten in part by Matthew Peck Gallery
In the culinary world, quiet dedication sometimes speaks louder than public acclaim. And on occasion, you’ll find noted restaurateurs who devote themselves to mastering their craft, content to let their work stand on its own.
Cindy Brennan is definitely in that number.
“I have a lot of family members with big personalities. I just like to be successful, do the right thing, work hard and be proud of what I do,” says Brennan. “Someone once said to me, ‘You’re the under-the-radar Brennan’ – and I guess I am, but I am very comfortable with it.”
Born into a family whose name is synonymous with the culinary legacy of New Orleans, this Brennan usually stays out of the spotlight, all the while working furiously behind the scenes to make the many merits of Mr. B’s Bistro shine.
Located on the corner of Royal and Iberville streets, right across the street from the Hotel Monteleone, Mr. B’s – with its copper-roofed oriel windows and revolving front door – has been a bastion of what food critic Tom Fitzmorris dubbed “modern Creole cuisine” for nearly half a century.
Featuring a timeless, steakhouse aesthetic with dark woods, polished brass accents and forest green leather banquettes, the restaurant was one of the first in the area to boast an all-California wine list.
“At the time it was very avant-garde. California wines were just starting to be recognized in the same league as French wines. Honestly, I think it was ahead of its time.”
Dining room at Mr. B’s Bistro, photo by Kim Ranjbar
Locals and visitors alike frequent Mr. B’s, drawn by its atmosphere, excellent service and plates brimming with their signature barbequed shrimp, pasta jambalaya or bowls of rich, dark Gumbo Ya-Ya that had the Wall Street Journal rhapsodizing last year: [It’s] the epitome of a rich, luscious, dark-roux chicken and andouille gumbo,” one that “delivers a transcendent flavor.”
“I think a lot of people love Mr. B’s because they think it’s a comfortable, warm environment,” says Brennan. “You can laugh out loud, be in black tie, sit at the bar … it’s kind of like a choose-your-type of dining experience.”
The rich Gumbo Ya-Ya, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the ten best in Louisiana in 2025. Photo courtesy Mr. B’s
In fact, longtime customers often prefer grabbing a seat at the bar where they can chat with friendly bartenders ready and waiting behind the stick. There they can grab a light salad for lunch or top off a Friday afternoon sipping B's Old Fashioneds crafted with Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Regan’s orange bitters. Or sample a dreamy slice of pecan pie from the whimsical dessert menu designed by area artist Tim Trapolin.
Ronald Green and Darrick Breaux serve up cocktails and meals at the fabled bar. Photo by Ellis Anderson
Gulf Fish Almondine, photo by Ellis Anderson
Grilled Shrimp Salad, photo by Ellis Anderson
“Just Desserts” menu at Mr. B’s Bistro, created by Tim Trapolin, photo by Kim Ranjbar
A favorite on the dessert menu, bread pudding with warm Irish whiskey sauce, photo courtesy Mr. B’s
But in truth, it’s the Brennan behind the scenes that holds everything together.
Born to John Thomas Brennan and Claire Louise Lally, Cindy was the second of four children, including siblings Ralph, Tommy and Claire, a.k.a. “Lally.” When she was a young girl, Cindy enjoyed working with her hands, especially designing and sewing her own clothes.
“I had a Barbie doll and made clothes for her. I would just take a pair of scissors and start cutting fabric. I didn’t use any patterns or anything like that. It just sort of came naturally.”
After graduating from Tulane University with a degree in Business Administration, the bright young Brennan began working as an assistant to buyer and dress designer Martha Radelat at the historic Maison Blanche department store on Canal Street.
“[Maison Blanche] wanted to promote me and move me to a different store and it was at the same time Mr. B’s opened,” she explains. “One day my aunt Ella says, ‘Why don’t you stop doing that and come host at Mr. B’s while we get things settled in?’
“That’s how it all started. It wasn’t really what I intended. I remember I had a giant electric typewriter and I didn’t know how to type!”
After spending many a late night teaching herself how to navigate the staccato rhythms of a typewriter, Cindy and her brother Ralph were tasked with confronting myriad challenges that Mr. B’s faced in its opening phase.
“They [family members] were considering closing the operation, and they sent us down there and said, 'Figure it out, make it work.’ So that’s what we did.”
Mr. B's Bistro opened in 1979 on the ground floor of a multi-story parking garage built in 1962 on the former site of Solari's, a century-old specialty market. The garage, named Solari's in tribute to the historic grocer, remains one of the restaurant's little-known perks. Through the valet service, Mr. B's diners can pay $6 for up to three hours and enter the restaurant directly through a rear entrance connected to the garage.
Celebrated chef Paul Prudhomme, who at the time was the corporate chef for the Brennans, helped design the restaurant’s original menu with Sebastian "Buster" Ambrosia, who moved over from Commander’s Palace to become the executive chef at Mr. B’s Bistro. Ambrosia only stayed for a few years before moving on to open his own Northshore restaurant.
Soft-shell crabs are served in season. Photo courtesy Mr. B’s
“Then we brought in Gerard Maras, who is super talented,” says Brennan. “He was just terrific.”
During his tenure, Maras (arguably) perfected Uptown restaurant Pascale’s Manale’s original recipe for New Orleans-style barbeque shrimp, a dish which remains a Mr. B’s signature to this day.
The fabled barbequed shrimp. If you’ve never eaten it before, accept the bib the server will offer – you’ll need it. Photo by Ellis Anderson
Maras also mentored his successor, Michelle McRaney, who began working at Mr. B’s on an externship program through Delgado Community College. In 1995, she came back to Mr. B’s, this time leading the kitchen.
Over the next three decades, Michelle and Brennan brought the farm-to-table concept into sharp focus at Mr. B’s and together they weathered some pretty hefty hits faced by the local hospitality industry, not the least of which being Hurricane Katrina, an event that shuttered the restaurant for over a year.
Chef Vincent Sciarrotta with Brennan in the kitchen, photo by Ellis Anderson
“There was so much rain that leaked down the building and a lot of the wood had buckled. We had to completely rebuild the property. We were closed for 594 days.”
Sadly, McRaney passed away from an illness in 2021. In her absence, longtime Mr. B’s cook Vincent Sciarrotta has stepped up to the range. Mentored by both Maras and McRaney for nearly 20 years, it’s been a long time coming for Sciarrotta and he has happily embraced his new role at the restaurant where “he has earned his way.”
Over the years, there has been one constant: Brennan’s enduring support of the restaurant – and the French Quarter – where she lived for more than two decades, raising her children a few blocks down Royal Street. She says they treasure the experience so much, both wrote their college application essays about growing up in the neighborhood.
As for her dedication to Mr. B’s, she been called the “heart and soul” of the restaurant. She is ever-present, and on any given day you’re likely to find her there, working behind the scenes or greeting the customers out front.
“I think it’s important to be present. You’re only as good as the people who work with you. You have to be there to support them and connect with them.
“It makes them feel like they’re a part of the whole – because they are.”
Mr. B’s staff in a recent photo, courtesy Mr. B’s Bistro
*Mr. B’s Bistro is once again taking part in the city’s annual COOLinary New Orleans event which takes place from August 1- 31. The restaurant is offering a 2-course lunch menu for $28 and a 3-course dinner for $58 featuring smoked buster crabs, oyster and wild mushroom linguine, and lemon ice box pie.
