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If you are of drinking age and living in New Orleans, or anywhere in America for that matter, chances are you have heard of Cure (4905 Freret Street) – an Uptown cocktail bar that is widely regarded as one of the best in the country. In December of last year, Neal Bodenheimer and Kirk Estopinal, two of the mastermind mixologists behind Cure, opened a new cocktail lounge located in the Hotel Modern.
Bellocq, as it is called, gives drinkers a throwback to the late 19th century – the time at which its namesake, E.J. Bellocq, secretly began to photograph the madams of Storyville, New Orleans’ infamous red light district. This racy time in the city’s history is embraced with a bit of a contemporary vibe. As Bodenheimer puts it, “We’re doing a concept that’s based on a cocktail and style of drinking from 1820 to 1900, a style of drinking that basically has vanished. It’s still a modern interpretation. We’re not doing a period piece.”
The distinctive feature in this style of drinking is the cobbler. Cobblers traditionally consisted of a fortified wine such as sherry, fresh fruit, sugar, and tiny ice (shoutout to Sonic for keeping that cool). Bellocq allows drinkers to be as creative as possible, with the option to order wines and liqueurs such as sherry, port, Chartreuse, and Creme Yvette from the menu, or to create their own combination. “Without being medieval times about it, we’re trying to return some of the old drinking categories and styles,” says Estopinal. Cobblers are not the only option at the lounge – customers can also order from an extremely unique wine and beer list. The wines include some lesser-known French bottles, and the beers are served by the glass, from 22-ounce “bomber” bottles.
Drinks at Bellocq cost between $6 and $9 – very affordable, especially considering the regular live performances from international artists, burlesque troupes, and more. This helps the lounge to attract a local dinner crowd from the Warehouse District. Spice things up a bit and give Bellocq a try!
The Hotel Modern | 936 St. Charles Ave. | On Lee Circle | 504.962.0900
Also check out our post about Tamarind, the French-Vietnamese restaurant located across the courtyard from Bellocq in the Hotel Modern.
Contributed by Adam Cohen
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