KEY TAKEAWAYS: Devillier Hospitality Group, owned by Mia and Justin Devillier, has opened Daughter’s Neighborhood Italian, a restaurant of about 100 seats, at 1413 Upperline St. Justin Devillier returns to the kitchen every day as executive chef. The menu is Italian American with a New Orlea ns focus and includes wood-fired lasagna, mussels marinara and redfish saltimbocca. The building was fully restored, keeping its original wood paneling and terrazzo floors. Studiowest designed it and Arch Builders was the general contractor. The space was home to JoAnn Clevenger’s Upperline Restaurant for almost four decades. Daughter’s serves dinner Thursday through Monday.   Daughter’s [see the SlideDeck] Daughter’s Neighborhood Italian officially opened Friday, Nov. 6, in the former Upperline Restaurant space, which was home to JoAnn Clevenger’s Upperline Restaurant for nearly four decades. The roughly 100-seat eatery comes from Devillier Hospitality Group, owned by husband-and-wife team Mia and Justin Devillier. The restaurant is named for the couple’s three daughters and the daughter of Joel Dondis, their business partner. Devillier Hospitality Group also operates La Petite Grocery, a bistro that blends French technique and Southern influences. The restaurant marks a return to the kitchen for Executive Chef Justin Devillier. In recent years, he has served as culinary director, but at Daughter’s he will cook in the kitchen daily. “Daughter’s is a chance for me to get back into the kitchen every day and cook food that feels both familiar and deeply rooted in where we are,” Justin Devillier said in a news release. “We’re taking inspiration from the Italian American traditions that are part of Mia’s family history and giving them our own New Orleans point of view, using the incredible seafood, produce and other familiar ingredients from this region. At its heart, the food is meant to be approachable and made for sharing — the kind of cooking that brings people together around the table, whether it’s a special occasion or a Tuesday night.” The menu features classic red-sauce dishes made with a sauce based on Mia Devillier’s family recipe, a Sunday dinner tradition. A wood-fired oven anchors a menu of pastas, seafood, meat and vegetables. Pastas include house-made pasta as well as organic, imported air-dried varieties. Signature dishes include mussels marinara, wood-fired lasagna and redfish saltimbocca. The Italian-inspired beverage program features cocktails, aperitivi and an Italian-focused wine list. General Manager Maria Zissis and Jeffrey Flagg, the group’s lead bartender and cocktail consultant, oversee the cocktail program, while wine director Alejandro Romero leads the wine program. The building underwent a complete restoration and buildout. Studiowest served as architect and interior designer, and Arch Builders was the general contractor. “Once we started researching the building and learned it had an Italian history dating back to the 1930s, it felt like a natural fit for the concept we had already been thinking about,” Mia Devillier said. “In a way, it feels like we’re not starting something new — we’re reviving something that was already part of the building’s story.” Original wood paneling and terrazzo floors were preserved during the renovation. Rich colors, vintage family photos and Art Deco fixtures create a warm, welcoming design with a contemporary feel. Private dining spaces seat up to 40 guests, or 60 for a reception-style event. Daughter’s is at 1413 Upperline St. and is open for dinner Thursday through Monday. Reservations are available on OpenTable. ...read more read less