The Neighborhood
New Orleans’ Central Business District (CBD for short) may lack the charm of its French Quarter and Garden District neighbors, but its position in the middle of the city can’t be beat.
The Vibe
Regal and refined with Art Deco details, but comfortable enough that guests feel at home.
The Digs
For decades following the building’s 1927 opening, New Orleanians made their way, checkbook in hand, to the headquarters of New Orleans Public Service Inc. (NOPSI) at the corner of Baronne and Union streets to pay their utility bills. Over the years, it became a cornerstone of the community, with its grandiose lobby doubling as an appliance showroom that occasionally hosted cooking programs. The building was vacated in the 1980s when the company became Energy New Orleans. After thirty years in the dark, luxury development group Salamander Hotels initiated a major renovation that left in place original details, from lobby floors and chandeliers to a crane-and-tracks system in the ballroom.
Eat-In Options
NOPSI Hotel houses three bars, each with a distinctive focus and feel (this is New Orleans, after all). Lobby bar Undercurrent nods to Prohibition-era drinking with gin and Champagne cocktails; it’s the choice for pre-dinner drinks when a jazz band sets up shop Thursday through Saturday. Just steps away, the bar inside Public Service restaurant favors brown water. And nine stories up, Above the Grid is a rooftop bar with an emphasis on poolside sippers of the daiquiri and swizzle varieties. Day or night, the space affords you a unique view of the Crescent City—perched among the high-rises of the CBD. Come time to eat, head back downstairs to Public Service. In a city that knows how to brunch, the restaurant holds up its end of the bargain. Benedict riffs are aplenty; Louisiana influence shines in the omelets dubbed Creole (andouille, tasso, holy trinity) and Ponchartrain (crab, shrimp, boursin cheese). Order an eye-opener and take your pick. As evening approaches, the kitchen’s focus on Gulf Coast seafood and flame-kissed meats presents itself clearly on the dinner menu, where offerings range from fresh catches and crab cakes topped with green onion remoulade to a bone-in pork prime rib served with sweet potato tasso croquettes.
What to Eat
Brunch
Greet the day with New Orleans mainstays: bourbon milk punch and an iteration of eggs benedict—the eggs sardou and shrimp benedict are both good choices.
Lunch
You’re undoubtedly eating yourself silly around the city, so think long term and keep lunch light. The raw bar (jumbo lump crab, oysters on the half shell) is just the ticket.
For Dinner
Go surf and turf: order a starter like tasso hushpuppies or blue crab dip, then a rotisserie meat or fresh catch.
