Behind the strangely-out-of-place-courthouse-that-turned-into-the-Wildlife & Fisheries headquarters (and back again), sat the The Tally-Ho Restaurant, at 400 Chartres, corner Conti. The restaurant, cafe, coffee shop-- whatever you wanted to call it-- was originally run by Bertrand "Bert" Levy and his wife, Tillie. The place was famous for three things: the cheese omelettes, Bert and Tillie's bickering, and the inconsistent hours of operation.
Outside, over the corner entrance, hung one of those old, two-sided, red and white Coca-Cola signs, the kind the distributor probably gave away in exchange for selling Coke products, and which had the name of the establishment added to the blank white bottom half. The Tally-Ho's sign appears to have been there since the building housed the Continental Restaurant back in the 1950s, just with the name repainted.
Primarily a breakfast and lunch operation, the Tally-Ho was for some time also a late night breakfast place. It is as this I remember it, and doubt I ever saw the inside of it during the light of day. For this reason I may have missed having an omelette made by Bert himself, and I certainly don't recall witnessing any of the notorious bickering.
Back in the 1970s, one could park across the tracks from Decatur Street and the French Quarter, in the shell lot by the river, with relatively little fear of late night criminal activity. For those unfamiliar, small bi-valve shells dredged from Lake Pontchartrain are commonly used here in lieu of gravel.
Parking in the shell lot was free, and it only meant hoofing a couple of extra blocks into the Quarter to patronize iconic Pat O'Brien's on a weekend night, or Melius Bar on Conti, a popular destination for the college crowd on Wednesdays in those days.
After a night of French Quarter partying (read over-indulging), ambling back to your car in the shell lot took you right past the Tally-Ho, where you could cheaply get a plate full of eggs, ham or bacon, toast and coffee. And a bit of respite before venturing home.
On January 31, 1977 a mid-afternoon fire-- a grease flare-up from the griddle was to blame-- caused the restaurant heavy damage, but the brigade from the fire house in the next block over on Decatur was able to respond and extinguish it in about 15 minutes.
At some point, Bert and Tillie left the business, and the Tally-Ho was taken over by a Wisconsin couple named Chuck and Lorraine Nahmens, apparently around 1982.
In 1986, the restaurant took a wild left turn and began serving Hungarian food. A woman named Elizabeth White from Virginia, and a native of Hungary, applied for a waitressing job at the Tally-Ho. Her tenure would be short-- only three weeks-- as she was just passing through (on foot!) on her way to Mexico, a religious pilgrimage of some sort.
But while she was here, White convinced the Nahmenses to try serving some of the Hungarian dishes she cooked for them. The idea was apparently a hit with the clientele, and when she left to continue her journey, she left printed recipes and instructions behind.
According to his obituary, original owner Bert Levy died November 3, 2000, at age 75, in Austin, TX. Services and interment, however, were here in Metairie.
Information is sparse, but an old Chowhound website post seems to indicate the Tally-Ho closed for good in the early-2000s. Since then the building's facade has been restored to that of the original Perrilliat House, built in 1825. The corner entrance and old Coca-Cola sign are no more.
Tally Ho Coffee Shop: Diner, 400 Chartres, New Orleans (French Quarter) - 566-7071 (do not call) map