New French Quarter bar opens with visiting bartender residencies amid construction

The Cocktail Hour, a new multi-level bar and entertainment venue in New Orleans’ French Quarter, opened Oct. 29 amid a difficult stretch for nearby businesses affected by months of street construction. Backed by the team behind Jewel of the South and Turkey and the Wolf, it plans to host visiting bartenders who will create New Orleans-inspired menus for temporary residencies rather than simply serving drinks from their home bars. In Charleston, Mike and Kathleen Shuler and partner Nathan Wheeler will open Quarter French, an all-day café and bistro at 40 Broad St. on Nov. 5. Chef Ted Jackson’s menu will span coffee and pastries, lunch dishes and dinner plates, drawing on French cuisine’s global influences and using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.