Bistro Alex, located in the elegant Hotel Sorella, is the domain of one of Brennan’s legion of family members; as such, the atmosphere is predictably sleek and fanciful, if more corporate-veneered than the charmingly ornate NOLA flagship. The service is so disarmingly friendly and competent that it hardly matters. Turtle soup (the center of the clan’s culinary coat of arms) is here a familiar comfort to Brennan’s fans, as are careful and well-executed details like soft, crusty bread with garlic butter. NOLA desserts, stews, and fish mains are best—chicken gumbo has bold spice and flavorful sausage, if not enough authentic dark-roux taste. Bread pudding and bananas Foster are terrific, as ever. Beyond these, you’ll be whisked back to your hotelish surroundings; there’s a pretty good (if white-meaty) fried chicken salad with a coterie of tastes: lots of black pepper, blue cheese dressing, pickles, roasted red peppers, and not-too-sharp onions. A shrimp po’ boy will disappoint the NOLA-literate; the rémoulade is much too sweet, and there’s no muddy shrimp flavor pulling through. It reads more like panino. Sides are variable: onion rings have a fluffy, crunchy batter, while goat-cheese grits are dry, with no distinct goat-cheese flavor.

Wining and dining businesspeople could do worse than this for a convenient and impressive hotel restaurant; and if the expense account won’t support bottles of points-chasing big names, there are also a few great French bargains to be had.