Cure

Cure's influence on cocktails in a city that does them better than anybody else is impossible to overestimate. Cure opened in Uptown's Freret Street corridor in 2009, starting off the regeneration of an area still recovering from Hurricane Katrina two years later while also bringing the new-school mixology trend to a city that has never been short on good cocktails.

The minds behind this brick-walled spot now have a mini-empire, but the original is still a winner thanks to a spacious patio that's walled in by jasmine vines, a subtly sexy indoor vibe, and creative cocktail combinations that riff on classics, from a low-proof fizzy take on the Hurricane, called The Next Episode to a mutant Old Fashioned called the Picard loaded with smoked black tea, rhubarb, chocolate, and caramel. Nogueira will build a menu of Mexican-influenced cuisine including tacos, tostadas, and ceviches, and the bar will be focused on agave spirits. Alex Anderson, who has spent years crafting cocktails at Cure, will manage the spirits program.

Location: 4905 Freret St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Website: curenola.com