Neal Bodenheimer is the Managing Partner of CureCo., the acclaimed New Orleans hospitality group behind Cure, Cane & Table, and VALS; a Partner at Dauphine’s in Washington, D.C.; and oversees beverage operations at Peychaud’s at The Celestine. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and is the author of Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em.
A New Orleans native, Bodenheimer began bartending at 18 and later traveled the world to study food and beverage culture before joining respected restaurant groups in New York City, including B.R. Guest and Union Square Hospitality Group. Following Hurricane Katrina, he returned home and opened Cure in 2009. The bar helped ignite the city’s craft cocktail movement and has earned major accolades, including a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program, placement on The World’s 50 Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars lists, Excellent status from the Pinnacle Guide, and recognition as Food & Wine’s “Best Bar in the U.S.” in 2025.
Bodenheimer and his partners opened Cane & Table in 2012, earning praise from Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and The New York Times. He later expanded CureCo. with VALS, a neighborhood spot celebrating Mexican-inspired cuisine and agave spirits, and partnered with Long Shot Hospitality to open Dauphine’s, the Michelin-rated D.C. restaurant inspired by New Orleans’ culinary heritage. He also launched Peychaud’s in the French Quarter in 2021.
His first book, published in 2022, won an IACP Award and was a James Beard Media Award finalist. In 2023, VinePair named him “Drinks Professional of the Year."
