Photo by Michele Newbanks Tom Hickey, who will be opening the Levee House Bistro in Marietta on Feb. 19, makes chicken pea pasta from the Levee House’s famous recipe.

If you go

¯ Who: Levee House Bistro.

¯ What: Grand opening.

¯ When: Feb. 19.

¯ Address: 127 Ohio St., Marietta.

¯ Hours: 5 to 9 p.m.

¯ Regular hours: 5 to 9 p.m. every day but Sunday, when they are closed.

¯ Reservations: Can be made, but not necessary, by calling 740-371-7035. Reservations will be taken after Feb. 10.

Source: Levee House Bistro.

A local landmark will soon open as a restaurant with a traditional French flair.

Tom and Casey Hickey are opening the Levee House Bistro starting Feb. 19.

Tom said the hours in the beginning will be dinner only from 5 to 9 p.m. because they want to get dinner right before operating longer hours.

“I want to start with the right foot,” he said. “Everybody that’s coming here is brand new to this restaurant.”

People around the area may recognize Tom’s name as he’s worked at the Lafayette Hotel, the Buckley House and the Cornerstone Inn in Beverly.

He worked as executive chef through the end of 2020 at the Buckley House, but it was late fall when they decided to start looking for a spot for their restaurant.

“My wife noticed how hard I worked and started planting a seed,” he said. “She said ‘you could do this for yourself.’ That’s what brought us here. My wife’s an accountant and I’m a chef. It just makes sense.”

They looked at a place on Putnam Street, but it was too small. Their realtor said the Levee House was available after a proposed Thai restaurant fell through.

Along with the original recipe Levee House rolls and chicken pea pasta, the menu will include entrees such as pan seared halibut, pistachio crusted Scottish salmon, shrimp and grits, lobster mac ‘n cheese and steak au poivre.

They also have a kids menu with steak bites, grilled cheese and noodles with butter.

“I’m going to be doing all from scratch, fresh food,” Tom said. “Making our own salad dressings and all our own desserts from scratch. We’re doing fresh seafood, hand cut steak, fresh pasta, homemade soups. It’s all going to be from scratch.”

He said people have asked about their menu, but they’ve been trying to keep the hype about the bistro up by slowly leaking out menu items.

“Everything he posts…some of it will be specials,” Casey said.

His meals will all contain a starch, vegetable and protein, he said.

Tom trained as a classical French chef, and it’s what he likes best.

“It’s kind of the jumping off spot. All really good food starts as French cuisine,” he said.

The Levee House is well-known as an eatery, first as the Levee House Cafe and then changing to the Levee House restaurant, which it remained for more than 30 years.

The Levee House restaurant closed Dec. 30, 2017.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.