New Orleans Black Book

There’s so much pressure to get it right and almost too much to navigate—the layered food culture, the legendary cocktail scene, not to mention the music bleeding out of every doorway, the raucous celebrations, the idiosyncratic neighborhoods. So we tapped a few local friends and insiders to guide us through the gauntlet—past the tourist traps and straight to the epic brunches and oyster joints, the jazz clubs and dive bars, antiques shops and art galleries, plus the Mardis Gras and Jazz Fest hacks they swear by in this city that’s always going off and never not interesting. 

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Brooks Reitz  is a Charleston based entrepreneur. He is the founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., and the owner of  Leon’s Oyster Shop,  Melfi’s, and  Little Jack’s Tavern  in Charleston; and  The Bell, in New Orleans. He  publishes a weekly newsletter,  A Small and Simple Thing, about food, travel, style, and culture.

Emery Van Hook Sonnier is Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Advancement at Ogden Museum of Southern Art. A native New Orleanian, her career spans more than two decades in the for profit, nonprofit, media and philanthropy sectors, with a focus on building community through Southern culture, specifically Southern foodways.

Eric Goldberg is a traveler and dabbler in all things related to the business of hospitality. He has been the CEO of an international hotel services company, founder of a boutique branding agency and senior executive of a travel PR firm. He’s now a consultant and investor and has been to New Orleans at least a dozen times; he wrote about his most recent trip here. 

Katie Sciortino Peak is a writer, photographer & producer from the northshore of New Orleans. She spent two years living a block off Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District, and for the past nine years she and her husband have owned a home near City Park. Katie is temporarily located in the Netherlands after spending four years living in Tarragona, Spain. She shares her recs for hotels and local experiences in Spain and beyond on her site, The Unfolding Travels.

Katy Hoogerwerf  is a New Orleans-born and raised travel designer based in Europe with expertise in design, wellness, and culturally immersive experiences. As the founder of Good Trips, she seeks out unique properties with compelling stories and curates journeys that prioritize meaningful connections. 

Mason Hereford is the owner of four beloved New Orleans food operations: Turkey and the Wolf sandwich shop, Molly’s Rise and Shine, Hungry Eyes, an ‘80s-themed restaurant, and ​​Hot Stuff, a southern cafeteria style meat-and-3.

Michelle Faucheux is a native New Orleanian (and former Yam Queen!); a producer, writer, and passionate traveler who splits her time between New Orleans and LA. With a deep love for exploring new cultures and destinations, she founded The Curated Passenger, a travel company that offers tailored experiences with a focus on Africa, Egypt, Europe, and Antarctica. 

Nathalie Jordi  co-developed the  Hotel Peter & Paul  in a former Catholic school & church campus in New Orleans’ Marigny neighborhood, where she also lives. 

Nathaniel “Natty” Adams is a writer and designer living in New Orleans. He is the author of several books and his clothing store is located at 708 Toulouse Street in the French Quarter. 

Neal Bodenheimer, a New Orleans native, is the Managing Partner of CureCo., the group behind Cure, Cane & Table, and VALS in New Orleans; he also runs beverage operations at Peychaud’s at The Celestine.

Sara Ruffin Costello is a New Orleans-based designer of hotels (The Chloe, The Celestine, and the forthcoming Chloe Nashville) and residences; the founding Creative Director of Domino magazine, she also publishes a décor and life advice column, “You’re Welcome”, for The New Orleans Times Picayune. 

Carolina Costello is Sara’s daughter—a historic Preservation Major at College of Charleston, she is currently traveling through Europe on her semester abroad and gives us the Gen Z perspective on her hometown. 

Sophie Treppendahl is a Louisiana native who, after many years away, has been in New Orleans for four years. She is a painter, a new mom, and a delight seeker, who frequently partakes in outings for good food and drinks around the city with her family. 

Trishala Bhansali was born and raised in New Orleans and is the founder of Lekha, a lifestyle brand with its flagship on New Orleans’ Magazine Street. She splits her time between New Orleans, with her adorable shop-dog Wiley, and India, where she designs, sources, and curates all of Lekha’s items. 

Wayne Curtis is a freelance writer who has lived in New Orleans for nearly two decades. He’s the author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in 10 Cocktails, and covers the culture, history and science of cocktails and spirits for various publications and in his newsletter, The Long Bar.