Bella Blue at The Original Nite Cap (photo by Katie Sikora)
A new stage in New Orleans nightlife: The Original Nite Cap
by Paul Oswell
The city’s nightscape keeps on evolving. In the beginning, there was Bourbon. Then Frenchmen became the new Bourbon, then the St Claude corridor, and now a new scene that's been brewing quite nicely up on St Bernard. The latest addition to this growing entertainment district is The Original Nite Cap, a brand spanking new venue that’s just opened, so fresh that you can still get a hit of that new burlesque lounge smell.
The personnel behind the velvet curtains are entertainment forces to be reckoned with. The burlesque royalty of Bella Blue with partner (and recently also promoted to husband) Andrew Principe and hospitality honcho JD Solomon. Bella’s title is Headmistress of Entertainment & Hospitality, Andy brings logistics and wine expertise, with JD leading operations support, occasionally moonlighting as taste tester.
It’s a concept that’s been percolating, but things moved quickly once a venue had been found. “Andy and I had developed a concept and that was in the works for over a year, it was a matter of timing and location, and we weren't in a rush,” Bella tells me. “The idea was originally a dance studio and some sort of cafe. And then we started to think, maybe we have to separate these two concepts because maybe we're not going to find a place. And we looked at a few spots and then this came up."
The venue recently housed the Green Room/Kukhnya, but their closure means that there was suddenly a two-storey venue with restaurant and lounge space, and a 24/7 license grandfathered in. “With the inherited license and the suitability of the venue itself, I just thought, well we have to go and look at this place regardless!” says Bella. “Serious conversations started in April, and then it was just a matter of working out the details.”
Bars on this street - the former Sidney’s Saloon for example - were historically important social hubs for the local community, and the team want to be mindful of the bar’s legacy as they move forward. “I'm still doing work to try to figure out the history of this place,” says Bella. “There’s not much online but we’re working with people such as Big Chief Doucett, who had a place Uptown with his brothers called the Nite Cap. We want to honor him and also have a place for him and his friends to play music, to have a place to gig.”
The bar’s neighbors complete a fascinating new line up of venues for the street. Holy Diver has metal mights, The Goat has live music and dance nights for the goth community and and Poor Boys has a punk-forward lineup of events every week - and those three loose scenes can all intersect. “You know, St. Claude is now bursting at the seams. You used to tell people to go to Frenchmen, then it became cool to recommend St Claude,” says Bella. “I just feel like as things grow, the options expand. Look further down St. Claude at places like The Domino. Those St. Claude venues are packed with shows now, so oh my god does there need to be an expansion.”
The bar is a work in progress, but it’s already looking great. Plush materials and dark woods, with booths and tables and nooks that have fun installations such as the front half of a car that you can sit in - a likely magnet for IG pics. There’s a cocktail and a more-than-tempting bar food program already up and running, and the fall should see the addition of a cozy Italian restaurant downstairs. To be named Pucinella’s, Matty Hayes is already signed on as Executive Chef.
The venue itself is going to take an inclusive approach to its entertainment program. Burlesque will feature of course, and there’ll be poles, so classes can happen on site for developing new local stage talent. “It'll be a little bit of everything,” says Bella. “Burlesque and cabaret but also live music. We really want to feature some of the older cats, give them a place to come and do their thing. I also want to run an open mic format where artists can collaborate - musicians, dancers, spoken word…everything!”
There’s a spirit of openness and bringing creative forces together that’s in the air from the get-go. There’s already a marriage - both literal and metaphorical - between the hospitality and entertainment worlds, and Bella, Andy and JD want to take that ethos and soar. It’s a new generation of venue that has its heart open to both the future and the past of this city. “Even with the aesthetic of the place, the decor,” says Bella - quickly backed up by Andy. “We didn't want anybody to feel intimidated by coming in here. We want to look around and see a mix of humans. That's what we want. We want every single person to feel comfortable.”
The vintage posters and photos around the barroom aren’t there for show, they’re important reminders of the importance of these venues to the people that live here. Come and drink, and eat, and see a show for sure, but more importantly, pick up the spirit of inclusion and collaboration that The Original Nite Cap is putting down. With some thought and a considerate outlook, a new venue can be as big a part of the culture as the places that preceded it.
The Original Nite Cap is at 1300 St Bernard Avenue, and is currently open 6pm-11pm Friday and Saturday.
Follow them on Instagram here at @originalnitecap
by Paul Oswell
The city’s nightscape keeps on evolving. In the beginning, there was Bourbon. Then Frenchmen became the new Bourbon, then the St Claude corridor, and now a new scene that's been brewing quite nicely up on St Bernard. The latest addition to this growing entertainment district is The Original Nite Cap, a brand spanking new venue that’s just opened, so fresh that you can still get a hit of that new burlesque lounge smell.
The personnel behind the velvet curtains are entertainment forces to be reckoned with. The burlesque royalty of Bella Blue with partner (and recently also promoted to husband) Andrew Principe and hospitality honcho JD Solomon. Bella’s title is Headmistress of Entertainment & Hospitality, Andy brings logistics and wine expertise, with JD leading operations support, occasionally moonlighting as taste tester.
It’s a concept that’s been percolating, but things moved quickly once a venue had been found. “Andy and I had developed a concept and that was in the works for over a year, it was a matter of timing and location, and we weren't in a rush,” Bella tells me. “The idea was originally a dance studio and some sort of cafe. And then we started to think, maybe we have to separate these two concepts because maybe we're not going to find a place. And we looked at a few spots and then this came up."
The venue recently housed the Green Room/Kukhnya, but their closure means that there was suddenly a two-storey venue with restaurant and lounge space, and a 24/7 license grandfathered in. “With the inherited license and the suitability of the venue itself, I just thought, well we have to go and look at this place regardless!” says Bella. “Serious conversations started in April, and then it was just a matter of working out the details.”
Bars on this street - the former Sidney’s Saloon for example - were historically important social hubs for the local community, and the team want to be mindful of the bar’s legacy as they move forward. “I'm still doing work to try to figure out the history of this place,” says Bella. “There’s not much online but we’re working with people such as Big Chief Doucett, who had a place Uptown with his brothers called the Nite Cap. We want to honor him and also have a place for him and his friends to play music, to have a place to gig.”
The bar’s neighbors complete a fascinating new line up of venues for the street. Holy Diver has metal mights, The Goat has live music and dance nights for the goth community and and Poor Boys has a punk-forward lineup of events every week - and those three loose scenes can all intersect. “You know, St. Claude is now bursting at the seams. You used to tell people to go to Frenchmen, then it became cool to recommend St Claude,” says Bella. “I just feel like as things grow, the options expand. Look further down St. Claude at places like The Domino. Those St. Claude venues are packed with shows now, so oh my god does there need to be an expansion.”
The bar is a work in progress, but it’s already looking great. Plush materials and dark woods, with booths and tables and nooks that have fun installations such as the front half of a car that you can sit in - a likely magnet for IG pics. There’s a cocktail and a more-than-tempting bar food program already up and running, and the fall should see the addition of a cozy Italian restaurant downstairs. To be named Pucinella’s, Matty Hayes is already signed on as Executive Chef.
The venue itself is going to take an inclusive approach to its entertainment program. Burlesque will feature of course, and there’ll be poles, so classes can happen on site for developing new local stage talent. “It'll be a little bit of everything,” says Bella. “Burlesque and cabaret but also live music. We really want to feature some of the older cats, give them a place to come and do their thing. I also want to run an open mic format where artists can collaborate - musicians, dancers, spoken word…everything!”
There’s a spirit of openness and bringing creative forces together that’s in the air from the get-go. There’s already a marriage - both literal and metaphorical - between the hospitality and entertainment worlds, and Bella, Andy and JD want to take that ethos and soar. It’s a new generation of venue that has its heart open to both the future and the past of this city. “Even with the aesthetic of the place, the decor,” says Bella - quickly backed up by Andy. “We didn't want anybody to feel intimidated by coming in here. We want to look around and see a mix of humans. That's what we want. We want every single person to feel comfortable.”
The vintage posters and photos around the barroom aren’t there for show, they’re important reminders of the importance of these venues to the people that live here. Come and drink, and eat, and see a show for sure, but more importantly, pick up the spirit of inclusion and collaboration that The Original Nite Cap is putting down. With some thought and a considerate outlook, a new venue can be as big a part of the culture as the places that preceded it.
The Original Nite Cap is at 1300 St Bernard Avenue, and is currently open 6pm-11pm Friday and Saturday.
Follow them on Instagram here at @originalnitecap