by Brad Rhines

Before the plethora of pop-ups in New Orleans, and before fine-dining chefs around town turned their attention to burgers and pizza, there was MVB.  Way back in October of 2010, folks lined up outside Slim Goodies Diner on Sunday evenings for three things, and three things only: burgers, fries, and shakes.  MVB closed at the end of last summer—pop-ups by definition, after all, are meant to be temporary—but this week fans were delighted to hear that the MVB burger is returning to New Orleans. 

This time, the burger is popping up on the menu at Liberty’s Kitchen, an innovative non-profit restaurant providing at-risk youth with job skills and social skills, helping to create a work orce for a city that thrives on the city's already bustling service, hospitality, and tourism industries.

The move makes sense, considering one of the MVB partners was Hardie McDonald, an instructor-chef at Liberty’s Kitchen.  Other partners included restaurateurs Evan Benson of Tartine, Joel Dondis and Larkin Selman of Sucre, and Rene Louapre and Peter Thriffiley, the duo behind the popular food blog Blackened Out.

NoDef talked to Louapre about the return of the MVB burger, and harnessing the power of food to do good in New Orleans.

When MVB first closed last year, Louapre said the partners initially considered the idea of opening their own restaurant, but ultimately the logistics just didn’t pan out.  When they decided to donate their equipment to Liberty’s Kitchen, adding the burger to the Liberty’s Kitchen menu seemed like a perfect fit.

“This is a great opportunity for Liberty’s Kitchen to have the burger without us having to spend nights worrying about whether we’re going to make our rent payment,” said Louapre.  

“Hardie did a lot of the heavy lifting at MVB, so if anyone has our technique and our process down, it’s Hardie," he said.  "So I have no doubt it’s going to be pretty damn close, if not better than the original.”

The burger, which should be available by the end of the week, is a 50/50 blend of fresh ground chuck and brisket, dressed with arugula, onion, tomato, and MVB’s signature “Larkin sauce.”  The simplicity of the burger, made with quality ingredients and cooked with care, earned MVB a loyal following, and customers rejoiced at news of the burger’s return, which is good news for Liberty’s Kitchen.

The restaurant, located at 422 Broad Street, near Tulane Avenue, is open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays, and has become a popular spot for professionals in the area.  The organization’s Youth Development Program targets at-risk youth from ages 16-22, and combines hands-on food-service training with classroom instruction, individual case management, and education programs.

Students will be grinding the meat and griddling the patties for the MVB burger, which will share the menu with homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, po-boys, and daily lunch specials, like red beans on Monday and fried catfish on Friday.

“If more people are going to Liberty’s Kitchen to get the MVB, then more people are learning about Liberty’s Kitchen, and more people will want to get involved,” said Louapre.  “I think it’s win-win all the way around.”

Louapre understand as well as anyone the ways that New Orleans’ food culture can benefit the city.  In 2010, Lourape co-founded the annual Hogs for the Cause event, a barbeque competition that last year raised $100,000 for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer.  

With the 3rd Annual Hogs for the Cause coming up in March, Loupare said he’d love to see more events focused on the power of the city’s culinary culture to bring people together and address community issues.

“Hogs for the Cause is not necessarily a hard concept for people to understand,” he said.  “There’s beer, there’s pork, there’s music, and there’s a good cause.  If you don’t really like one of those things, then you probably don’t really deserve to live in New Orleans.”