Today, Freret Street in Uptown New Orleans is known as a destination for both locals and foodie tourists. But when the High Hat Café opened in 2011, the street was mostly filled with local neighbors doing local neighbor things.

Maybe it should come as no surprise that the restaurant was able to cater to locals in those early days, and later, to people from outside the neighborhood and beyond. With its ceiling fans, long bar and tiled floor, the High Hat Café has a timeless Southern appeal that beckons to hipsters and traditionalists alike.

So when Fredo Noguiera and Ryan Iriarte recently took over the restaurant from founders Adolfo Garcia and Chip Apperson, the new owners were careful not to mess with High Hat’s mojo.

“I’m very obsessed with classic New Orleans food,” Noguiera told What Now New Orleans. “I’m from here originally and I’ve always been a big fan of it. To be able to make sure that a classic place can keep going was a big opportunity for me that I didn’t want to let go.”

As hospitality veterans with strong pedigrees, Noguiera and Iriarte know a winning formula when they see it. Nogueira is the executive chef for Cure Co.; overseeing culinary operations at Vals, Cane & Table and the James Beard Award-winning Cure. Before working for a few years at the Bearcat Café, Iriarte was a manager at the High Hat Café for a decade and he developed its bar program. Noguiera also credits manager Stacey Means as being a big part of the High Hat’s ongoing success.

“This ownership change couldn’t have been without my partner Ryan and the rest of the management team staying on,” he says. “Without having a strong front house person like Chip, Ryan or Stacey, regular people would probably wonder, ‘What’s going on here?’ Having that front person is really important to the High Hat.”

So expect the culinary traditions to carry on at the High Hat. Catfish will continue to be the menu’s crown jewel. The café will continue to serve New Orleans classics like gumbo, barbecue Gulf shrimp and oyster poboys. The café has also been a spot where you can get a great cocktail, whether that’s a classic Sazerac or a more modern tipple like the Life of Leisure, made with chamomile vodka, maraschino liqueur and mojo Cubano bitters.

Even though Freret has changed and even though its ownership has changed, the beat goes on at the High Hat Café.