When Holywater opens in the French Quarter soon, it will be a sequel to brothers Alex and Miles Pincus' Holywater in New York. This iteration, however, may be more authentic in its style. "I was born in the French Quarter; my parents were living on St. Louis and Royal Street. My dad was managing the Royal Orleans Hotel and then the Monteleone Hotel, and my mom had a little hot sauce and praline shop in the Quarter. My older brother was actually a cop, so he worked at the police station on Royal and Conti. We're coming full circle now to where we're opening a restaurant right there. Pretty much every formative experience I had as a kid happened in a three-block radius," said Alex Pincus.
The restaurateurs left home and created Crew restaurant group to find culinary fame aboard ships in the waters circling New York City, but they were called to re-engage their hometown with the making of Seaworthy ten years ago. Things were sailing smoothly until the world took an unexpected pause. Alex recalled, "During COVID, I lost all my money, everyone's in crisis, I was trying to hold my life together, all of my restaurants were shut down. My wife said, 'You need a project.' A friend of mine came to me and showed me this bar that was available. We got this space but couldn't open. We spent a year conceptualizing and making a place that felt like home. We were homesick for New Orleans, we were homesick for being with people, and I made what felt to me like the perfect New Orleans bar from the way that I remember it."
While Holywater was reminiscent of the colorful lifestyle and characters of his childhood, there was something missing: "It's just not in New Orleans. It doesn't have the air, it doesn't have the feeling. That's something you just can't fake."
Finally, Holywater is taking over 622 Conti Street, a building that once housed a maritime supply shop and within his former stomping grounds. While many aspects of NYC's Holywater will be coming along, the nostalgia is not mere decor. "What's very unique about New Orleans is you can really get the full spectrum of people and opinions and experiences. You start to see there's a fundamental thing about people being humans and in that place that I just want to be able to capture in a restaurant and bar experience. It's over ambitious conceptually, but that's what we want to do in the places that we make. I'm excited to bring back that old New Orleans feeling of knowing who your neighbors are and communing with people," he said.
As the buzz around Holywater heats up, you'll be pleased to know that Chef Alex Harrell is at the helm, and the restaurant will feature a variety of fresh oysters including a bespoke breed crafted by the Pincus Brothers. Opening is slated for late September/early October. Reservations are available here.
