The transformation of the former Harrah’s Casino into a Caesars property has been a giant construction project, marked by a new hotel tower rising above it and new restaurants from big-name chefs within. Right in the midst of it all, though, Caesars has also been quietly cooking up a big surprise.
Octavia is the name for a new lounge inside the casino, one conceived on a sweeping scale and with an elegant art deco-inspired design. It’s a massive new addition to the casino taking shape just behind temporary walls, even as gaming goes on 24/7 just a dice roll away.
Octavia is a the forthcoming cocktail lounge at Caesars in downtown New Orleans, and a centerpiece of the casino.(Contributed image)
Octavia is set to debut in mid-August.
When it opens, visitors will walk through any one of eight entrances to find a soaring space with games along the perimeter, clusters of lounge seating and a large bar in the center. Above that bar will be a glass installation descending from the ceiling two stories above, a piece that all on its own is estimated to cost some $750,000.
Octavia will cover 13,000 square feet and can accommodate 600 people. Crews from local builder Ryan Gootee General Contractors are putting the final phases of the project in place.
The main entrance to the new Caesars casino in downtown New Orleans opens to the lounge Octavia. (Contributed image)
It’s taking the place of the former Harrah’s Masquerade “ultra lounge,” but it’s intended to have a more upscale ambiance and a different role than its dark and clubby predecessor. It will be a centerpiece of the new casino, and one of the first things visitors see from the property’s main entrance, situated by the valet parking area and forthcoming hotel.
That hotel, a new 15-floor tower of 340 rooms, is part of the casino’s overall transformation. So is the new Japanese restaurant Nobu, from sushi master Nobu Matsuhisa. Also slated to open this summer (and taking reservations for dates after Aug. 15), Nobu is located adjacent to, though separate from, Octavia.
The name Octavia was chosen for its intersection of different meanings. The female form for the Latin word eighth, it was the name of Julius Caesar’s grand-niece. Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture, a signal of prosperity. The casino’s address happens to be 8 Canal St. And New Orleans has an Octavia Street running Uptown from the riverfront.
Paw Paw's Donuts sets up shop
A batch of brioche doughnuts from Paw Paw's Donuts, a pop-up in New Orleans. (Contributed photo by Bryon Laurent Jr.)
Walk around the street food bazaar that is the Sunday edition of the Crescent City Farmers Market in City Park and you may pick up the aroma of fresh doughnuts next to sausage, eggs and cheese sizzling on the grill top for breakfast sandwiches. That’s Paw Paw’s Donuts, and the same combo will now greet visitors at its new walk-up breakfast service in Old Metairie.
Paw Paw’s Donuts, a pop-up and market vendor, is setting up shop for counter service four days a week at its commissary kitchen space in Old Metairie, beginning Thursday (July 11).
That’s at 619 Pink St., the home base for Hufft Marchand Hospitality (the company behind Junior’s on Harrison, Gail’s Fine Ice Cream and other restaurants). The same space is also home to Il Supremo, Hufft Marchand Hospitality’s own pop-up for pizza, pastas and parms (Sun.-Tue. 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.).
At Paw Paw’s Donuts, look for breakfast sandwiches, kolaches, cinnamon rolls and doughnuts, with fillings like lemon curd, vanilla bean, chocolate cream and strawberry jam. There will be a coffee and espresso bar menu with beans from Cat & Cloud Coffee, a California-based roaster.
It’s a big step for founder Alex Marse, who said he plans to continue the service through the end of the year and then assess.
He started Paw Paw’s Donuts in 2021 with a doughnut giveaway outside the Hey! Café coffee shop on the Lafitte Greenway after Hurricane Ida. It has since made a name at events and pop-ups and for its Carnival time king cakes.
