SPICE IT UP

FAJITAS, CHECK. MARGARITAS, CHECK. LIVE MUSIC, CHECK. When choosing the perfect restaurant for date night, girl’s night, or Taco Tuesday, we know there are several factors to consider, and El Paso Mexican Grill checks all of the boxes. Located just off Highway 165 in North Monroe, El Paso Mexican Grill provides diners with an authentic vibe, colorful decor, and a welcoming atmosphere. Offering an expansive indoor dining area perfect for large groups or gatherings.

Looking for something more private? Enjoy dinner with a view and dine on our outdoor patio overlooking the Bayou, featuring live local musicians throughout the year.

Serving up dishes for every palate, our chefs have put years of experience into making sure that your meal is one to remember. Our refried beans are made from scratch every day, the traditional Mexican way. Our salsa and pico de gallo are made fresh daily. Not only is our guacamole made fresh in house, was can also prepare it right at your table! Crafted from the freshest ingredients and made fresh daily, our menu covers traditional Mexican cuisine, with specialties like our mouth-watering Fajitas, served in a sizzling skillet loaded with beef, chicken or shrimp, or the Camarones al mojo de ago, a traditional shrimp dish, featured in this month’s food issue. We offer Tex-Mex favorites as well as vegetarian options.

For the over 21 crowd, unwind and beat the Louisiana heat with an ice-cold beer or house margarita. Recently voted a BayouBuzz finalist for best margarita. Come try one today, serving up happy hour specials from 3 PM to 8 PM daily with 2-for-1 margaritas.

Craving something sweet? Treat yourself to something from our dessert menu, we recommend the Banana Cheesecake Chimichanga; a rich and creamy banana cheesecake stuffed into a pastry shell, fried to golden perfection then topped with cinnamon sugar and whipped cream. Served warm with a scoop of ice cream, it’s sure to hit the spot. Looking for your next lunch spot? Stop in and select something for our lunch menu served fresh daily from 11 AM - 3 PM

Check out what our customers have to say about us:

“As soon as we walked in we were greeted with a smile and seated. Our waiter was very courteous and attentive. Our food and drinks were delicious and fresh! We will be back soon.” - Chris M.

Come see what all the buzz is about. Located at 3211 Sterlington Road in Monroe. The staff at El Paso are waiting to share the experience with you. Open Sunday- Thursday 11 AM - 10 PM and Friday- Saturday 11 AM -11 PM.

IF YOU HAVE SPENT THE LAST FEW MONTHS AT THE pool or at the lake and spent more time worrying about covering up than enjoying time with friends and family, DermaMediQ has the solution. “Often times, women worry about what their body looks like in shorts or in a swimsuit,” said Dr. Soma-Fakhre. “They don’t even get in pictures with their kids because they aren’t happy with the way their body looks.” Now is the time to stop worrying about those problem areas. DermaMediQ proudly offers a variety of services including BodyTite, Emsculpt, Lumecca and Morpheus8 that address these areas, giving your self confidence back. Plus, the coming months are the perfect time to plan these procedures since you can cover up with leggings, sweaters and pants.

Emsculpt is intended for improvement of abdominal tone, strengthening of the abdominal muscles, development of firmer abdomen. Strengthening, toning and firming of buttocks, thighs, and calves. Improvement of muscle tone and firmness, for strengthening muscles in arms. The best part is there is no anesthesia or down time.

Body Tire is a minimally-invasive device for body contouring delivering results previously only achieved through excisional procedures. BodyTite is powered by directional radio frequencies resulting in three-dimensional tissue remodeling through fat coagulation and volumetric heating. The coagulation of fat using radio frequency induced heat results in radio-frequency assisted lipolysis.

Morpheus8 is a novel technology that lets you discover new depths. It is the first and only full-body fractional technology adjusted for subdermal tissue remodeling, dermal treatment and epidermal resurfacing. Morpheus8 is the deepest lift technology with penetration up to 4000 microns. Morpheus8 is perfect for tightening specific problem areas on the body but also great for treating acne on the face. Some of the key benefits include minimal scarring and downtime and a good option for younger patients not yet ready for a facelift.

Lumecca is the most powerful intense pulsed light to treat pigmented and vascular lesions. After just one use, patients notice significant improvements in the complexion and clarity of the skin Lumecca operates using photothermolysis, which provides a photo facial through the delivery of a comfortable light treatment. Lumecaa is great to treat age spots, vascular lesions such spider veins, redness, freckles and sun damage.

No matter your age or issue you want to address, Dr. SowmaFakhre and the staff at DermaMediQ can help you achieve your beauty goals and truly put your best face forward. Call the helpful staff today to schedule an appointment or consultation to start your journey to becoming a more confident and better you.

WHEN LUKE PARRISH RETURNED home to North Louisiana after being gone for many years, he had no intention of returning to the restaurant business. He had been there, done that… and done it well. He had opened a successful crawfish restaurant in East Texas, almost by happenstance. Luke worked in IT and found himself in a small town in Texas, doing what any good Louisiana boy would do - hosting a crawfish boil. “I had boiled crawfish just for our neighbors and someone drove by and asked if they could buy our crawfish,” explains Luke. “I told them they weren’t for sale but it got me thinking. The next weekend I boiled 100 pounds of crawfish and sold them in 5 pound bags and sold out in five minutes. The next weekend, I did 500 pounds and sold all of those as well. So I decided this could be something.” Luke found a piece of property and set up shop with all the money he had to his name. He set up picnic tables and string lights, hung up a banner and was ready to open. The pop up restaurant sold out night one and continued to do so night after night. Luke’s dream became so successful that he sold it to a group of investors and opened a 680-seat restaurant, selling mudbugs and more. Like many people, the last year caused a change in focus and what was really important. Luke made his way back to North Louisiana to spend more time with his family. He was content with hunting and fishing and enjoying a slower pace of life in Sportsman’s Paradise. One day, a friend told him about an empty restaurant space that would be great for his crawfish concept that had done so well in Texas. He was hesitant, not wanting to start over, but once he saw the space, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Clawdaddy’s is located on Hwy 165, just north of Monroe, inside The Fishing Camp convenience store. The space was pretty much move in ready and Luke was ready to roll, taking advantage of the crawfish season. Clawdaddy’s opened on May 6th and people came from miles around to get the perfectly boiled bugs. However, Luke knew that the end of the season was quickly approaching and needed something to get him by during the off season. He had always like the idea of having a charbroiled oyster station, offering both delicious oysters and energy! There were naysayers that said people didn’t care about oysters and it wouldn’t work. The first week, Luke ordered 15 cases of oysters for a total of 1500 oysters…and sold out in one night. They scrambled and got some more in the middle of the night, confirming that Luke knew - this was a concept that worked and people wanted it!

In just the few months Clawdaddy’s has been open, they are already becoming popular for not only their food, but their hospitality! “We pride ourselves on providing quality products in a good atmosphere,” said Luke. “We already have regulars that our staff know by name and they come in on a weekly basis!” Since Luke and his team want to focus on quality, they have a focused menu with appetizers of boudin balls, links and egg rolls. There’s boiled shrimp and snow crab as well as fried fish, shrimp and oysters. They recently added a Debris Po-Boy that will give any New Orleans restaurant a run for their money. And of course, oysters. You can get those raw on their special flaked ice or charbroiled with butter, garlic and herbs. No matter what you try, you can rest assured it will be fresh, delicious and served with a smile!

RECENTLY A STUDY PUBLISHED IN JAMA found that Americans gained an average of 1.5 to 2.0 pounds per month during the pandemic. The American Psychological Association survey found that it affected 42% of US adults who reported undesirable weight gain.

Due to the stressful and sedentary nature of life during the coronavirus pandemic both exercise and eating routines were disrupted. Researchers also found that working from home accounted for a 27% decrease in steps that would have been taken at work. Stress and depression increase a hormone called cortisol, which leads to increased appetite, fluid retention and abdominal visceral fat.

Focus on getting back to eating healthy, regular exercise, increasing daily steps, and seeing your provider for a wellness checkup. The main goal is to maintain good health.

To lose the unwanted added weight focus on portions and the plate method of filling the plate half full of the low calorie, low carbohydrate vegetables listed below, and limit salad dressing to 2 tablespoons.

Asparagus, broccoli, avocado, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, green beans, greens or any kind, peppers, mushrooms, okra, onions, squash both yellow and green, tomatoes, turnips, cucumbers, radishes, and salad greens.

Allow one fourth of the plate for protein (approximately four ounces) and one fourth of the plate for a starch. Focus on whole grains for starches to fill one fourth of the plate.

Remember whole grains do not allow you to eat more.

A small baked sweet or regular potato (6 ounces, keeping in mind when eating out the potato is around 12 – 13 ounces), field peas, butter beans, dried cooked beans, brown rice, English peas or approximately ¾ C. to 1 C.

Choose healthy fats, but in limited quantities. Each tablespoon of fat, which is butter or an oil, is 100 calories.

There are other programs on the market if an individual needs supervision. At St. Francis Medical Group we offer a program called Ideal Protein. It is a program that optimizes fat loss through nutritional ketosis. There are three phases to this program.

Eat three Ideal Protein foods per day with a focus on lean protein and low carbohydrate vegetables. This phase is followed until ideal weight loss goal is reached.

Support to learn how to manage hunger and stabilize weight loss.

Maintenance support for 12 months to prevent regaining the weight.

For more information call Kyla at (318) 9662001.

WHEN IT COMES TO CAJUN FOOD, IT’S HARD TO FIND anything better than the Trappey brand. The Trappey name has been synonymous with Cajun food and Louisiana for over a century, 118 years to be exact. When looking for that taste of south Louisiana, there is no denying that the perfect place to go in North Louisiana is sitting right on the banks of the beautiful Ouachita River. The menu features a variety of south Louisiana dishes, including some of owner Joey Trappey’s very own family recipes.

To start, the appetizer menu features mouth-watering Fried Cheese Ravioli that melt-in-your-mouth and is topped with Trapp’s popular Crawfish Marlee sauce. The seafood nachos are a must with fresh made to order chips piled high, topped with fresh onion, tomatoes, fried crawfish tails, grilled shrimp and covered with the best white queso dip on this side of the Mississippi River. Creole crawfish pies, fried pickles, crab cakes and boudin bites round out the options for appetizers. There are daily lunch options during the week for only $10 including Ella’s Sunset Salad on Tuesdays, Trapp’s Cheeseburger on Wednesday, Nonk’s Jambalaya on Thursday and Trapp’s Red Beans and Rice on Fridays.

You can always depend on Trapp’s to have the best poboys, whether it is shrimp, crawfish or catfish, you have the option of fried, grilled or blackened. Served on a New Orleans style po-boy bread, they are dressed with lettuce, tomato and housemade remoulade. Trapp’s offers a Spud Menu on the dinner menu that features five different options including a Cajun Grilled Chicken Spud, a Cheeseburger Spud, a Boudin Spud with chopped boudin topped with Crawfish Marlee and Étouffeé Spud topped with crawfish étouffeé and green onions. The grilled menu features a smothered catfish with crawfish étouffeé, pork chops and blackened tuna, just to name a few items. Tuesday nights are Steak Night with two 12 oz. ribeyes, two salads, two drinks and two sides for just $35. On Wednesdays, its Burger Night with 2 Burgers, sides and drinks for just $12. And on Thursdays, Trapp’s offers bottomless wine night.

If the food isn’t enough to get you there, Trapp’s has plenty of music and entertainment as well with live local music on the patio. Trapp’s is one of the best family friendly restaurants around, serving fresh seafood for lunch and dinner, along the banks of the gorgeous Ouachita River. Make sure to stop by and see them today at 113 South Riverfront in West Monroe, at the foot at the Endom Bridge, find them on Facebook or call 318.855.6428. You can even get Trapp’s delivered straight to your door with by ordering through Chef Taxi. Whether you dine in or carry out, Trapp’s is certainly going to pass a good time!

FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE, JEREMY Wheat woke up each morning knowing his excess weight would shape his day.

“Before doing anything, I had to ensure my weight would allow me to do it — even simple things like where I sat in church. A few years ago, I took my son to an Atlanta Braves game, but I couldn’t fit in my assigned seat. I had to ask the staff if they had anything wider. They moved our entire family to a handicapped seating area,” he said.

These experiences caused the West Monroe native a significant amount of anguish. In addition to anxiety medication, he was prescribed several other obesity-related medications, including one to treat high blood pressure.

The father of three said, “There were so many moments that I experienced shame and sadness. I decided to move forward with weight loss surgery when my oldest son was upset that I wouldn’t ride on a jet ski with him. Everything in me was screaming to ride with him, but I knew that I was physically unable. So I had to endure his disappointment.”

His life changed in August of 2020. Dr. Walter Sartor, a bariatric surgeon at The Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana, performed the gastric sleeve surgery on Jeremy. Since that time, the now 33-year-old has lost 162 pounds, and the only medication he takes is for his allergies.

“I have so much more energy; I’m able to play with my kids a lot more. It’s almost daily that I notice I’m doing things I couldn’t have done a year ago, like flying without a seatbelt extender and not checking the weight limit on chairs before I sit. And yes, I can now ride jet skis with my son when he asks! I know things like this will continue to surprise me as I realize how much my weight and size have deterred me.”

Jeremy, an IT professional, had once experienced a shopping trip in which nothing in the store fit him. However, a shopping excursion after the surgery is something he will never forget. “I picked the biggest pants I could find on the shelf. But, to my surprise, they were too big for me,” Jeremy said. “In that moment, I was more than excited to buy new clothes; I was moved that I could buy new clothes.”

His relationship with food has changed,

too.

“I’m continuing to lose weight by being intentional in my food choices. I use the smallest plate, and I always start my meal with protein.”

Jeremy said he would “absolutely recommend Dr. Sartor.”

“Not only did the procedure go off without a hitch, but the care from Dr. Sartor and his staff have been incomparable. In addition, Marci Parker, the dietician, has kept in touch with me and made herself available to me after-hours,” Jeremy said. “I wasn’t feeling well for a brief time because I was dehydrated. Dr. Sartor called me to make sure I was okay and to see if I needed anything. He called me from his cell phone on his day off because he genuinely cared.”

Now, Jeremy’s life is filled with possibilities—not limitations.

“I feel like every day presents me with an opportunity to do something that my previous weight prevented me from trying. My weight is no longer the deciding factor in what I say or do.”

FOR HIS TEMPLE FAMILY FOODS IS PROUD TO BE ONE of the only places in Northeast Louisiana where you can find fresh, locally grown, organic meat and produce, food, pantry items and more. On Tuesday through Friday, you will find owner Dana Milford either in the back preparing lunch for the day or at the counter checking out some of her regular customers who know just where to come for their dairy free or gluten free favs. for His temple offers daily lunch specials like Smothered Steak, Swedish Meatballs, Burrito Bowls, Moo Shu Pork, Shrimp and Grits, Chicken Marsala and more. The restaurant and market is located in the heart of downtown West Monroe, just steps away from Trenton Street. The idea of serving locally produced, organic meats and vegetables may seem difficult, but that is Dana’s passion and she has been successfully doing so for the past six years. Next month marks for His temple’s sixth anniversary, which just affirms what Dana already knew - this community wants to eat from locally sourced and healthy food. After working for years in corporate America, Dana had a complete career change. She started cooking and experimenting by using fresh food, herbs and vegetables, and originally started for His temple as a place where people could pick up food for the week. The interest grew and she expanded and started offering daily lunches. Soon after, she stocked freezers with casseroles, meals and more. Naturally, the marketplace was born since people were coming from all over Northeast Louisiana, looking for healthier options. Since then, for His temple has become a staple in the community.

Providing food isn’t all that Dana is passionate about…she loves to share knowledge as well. And she has done so with her workshops, meet ups and social media videos. In the past, Dana has hosted workshops about using local herbs, working with microgreens, how to brew Kombucha and more. Dana is proud to host the local chapter for the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit foundation whose goal is to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price. The foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. for His temple will host meetings this fall, where like minded people can get together, discuss local and regional issues and be in community together. Dana also plans to bring back her Farm to Table meals, where you can both learn about food from local farms, but also taste them! Be sure to follow their facebook page to see what all for His temple has planned in the coming months! for His temple incorporates seasonal vegetables from local farms into their meals each week, as well as offers them in the marketplace. Some examples include chicken and pork from Mahaffey Farms in Haughton, pork from Ridge Top Farms in West Monroe, Beef from LaDelle Farms in Coushatta, produce from Delaterrre Farms in Eros, micro greens from Wall Greens Farm and Seed in West Monroe and Honey from D’s Bees in Swartz.

Fall is just around the corner and that means soup will be on the menu at for His temple. There will be a soup of the week available during the cold weather months, the perfect way to warm up. And its never too early to be thinking about the holidays. You can order your gluten free and/or dairy free holiday casseroles, so you can celebrate the season without sacrificing! Be sure to sign up for the for His temple newsletter on their website to stay up to date with their menus, workshops dinners and more!

CUSTOM DESIGN CENTER IS ONE OF THE LARGEST flooring, countertop and lighting showrooms in Northeast Louisiana and serves as a one stop shop for all of your construction, remodeling and commercial building needs. Owners and operating partners Mary Francis and AJ Siggers pride themselves on not only their extensive selection but their customer service. They offer one on one customer service, helping customers through the entire process from start to finish. Recently, Custom Design Center added Shawn Brazzell to their team. Shawn is a local interior designer with years of experience and a construction and landscape design background. She has worked as a freelance designer for many years and was often in Custom Design Center with clients choosing finishes for projects, so it was a natural fit. Now their in-house designer, Shawn has become a staple in the showroom, offering her expertise and knowledge for customers.

“When a customer comes in with their house plans, I am able to sit down and look at their plans,” said Shawn. “I go through each room and we pick out surfaces - bathroom tile, shower tile, floors, countertops and more. And since we have more than just tile and flooring, I can also assist in selecting lighting, hardware and finishes.” Shawn and the team at Custom Design Center have a unique program that can measure the square footage of the surface, ensuring that your quote is accurate and you know what to expect. Another benefit of working with both Shawn and Custom Design Center is the way in which they communicate with your contractor. They keep notes on how the tile needs to be laid, the color of the grout and more, making sure that the job goes smoothly and seamlessly.

You don’t have to be building a new home from the ground up. “We can help with renovation projects as well,” said Shawn. “We can show you how to refresh and give you ideas on new trends to update the space.” If you have a space, room or bigger project that you want done, now is the time to do so and plan to ensure that it is ready by the holiday season. While it may be August, you will be setting the Thanksgiving table and putting up the Christmas tree before you know. “The holidays can be busy and you want everything to be done by that time so we can start planning your projects now,” said Shawn.

Often times when people start planning a project or building a house, they turn to Pinterest, putting together boards of different ideas they like, but not necessarily knowing how to piece it all together. Well Custom Design Center has taken the guess work out of that too! They have created design boards that are available in the showroom, allowing you to see how different selections work together. They have a variety of styles from trendy to traditional and modern to new age. “Our design boards can really give people a broader view of the design concept, allowing them to see how all of the materials are being used together,” said Shawn. “It can show them how different textures, shapes and more can work together. People are really visual and this is just another way we work to serve our customers!”

Custom Design Center offers a variety of flooring choices such as carpet, hardwood, tile, natural stone, luxury vinyl plank and custom area rugs They are also pleased to offer countertops, cabinet hardware, lighting and fans. If you are remodeling or building your dream home, they invite you to come in and let their experts guide you through the process!

LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF THE OUACHITA RIVER IN the heart of downtown Monroe, the patio at Miro’s has always been a favorite. Now that the weather will be cooling off, the patio at Miro’s will be THE place to be!

If you are sitting outside on the patio or at the bar, you will have a great view of the Endom Bridge over the river. And, that is where some of the menu inspiration comes from, with items like the River Burger, Morning Barge, Conductor and Caboose sandwiches. You can even get a $1 Fireball shot when the train comes by.

For appetizers, there is fried eggplant, zucchini and fried green tomatoes, homemade fried cheese and hot spinach and artichoke dip, in addition to the already popular totchos, hummus, pickle fries and shrimp skewers. They have also added boiled shrimp and chargrilled oysters to the menu. You can get oysters by either the half dozen or by the dozen.

Burgers are made from 8 ounces of fresh Certified Angus beef and come with homemade fries or mac and cheese. In addition to classic hamburger options, there are also unique flavors like the Hawaiian that includes bacon, pepper jack cheese, grilled pineapple and jalapeño jam. Each burger comes on a delicious brioche bun, giving it a fresh flavor. Other sandwich selections include grilled chicken, pimento cheese, turkey avocado and club. And you don’t have to worry about traveling to New Orleans to get an authentic muffaletta sandwich. Miro’s has one with 9 inch round Leidenheimer bread, piled high with salami, ham, provolone cheese and in-house olive mix.

The menu continues with wings and tenders with five different sauces to choose from. Pizzas are also popular, from Muffaletta to Margherita. Po-boys include fried and grilled shrimp, catfish, meatball, chicken parmesan and more. There are several salad options like the Southwest Cobb, the Marinated Skirt Steak and the Greek Salmon, all delicious and nutritious. There are fresh Louisiana local favs like the boiled shrimp and char-grilled oysters. And to finish off your meal, Miro’s has decadent desserts. There’s wild blueberry flapjack cake, chocolate fudgy wudgy cake and the Grand Slam, loaded with Snickers, brownies, peanuts and caramel on a chocolate cookie crust.

On Sundays, Miro’s has one of the best brunch menus in town. And what is brunch without a little hair of the dog? You can enjoy Bloody Marys for $6 and bottomless mimosas for $15, with eight different flavors like pineapple, pear, honeysuckle and more.

Now that live music is back, Miro’s is the place in town to catch some of the best musicians Northeast Louisiana has to offer. And if you want to hop on the stage and perform yourself, check out their karaoke night!

Miro’s is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sundays, brunch is served from 10:30 AM to 2 PM, while the bar is open until 3 PM. Stop by Miro’s for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch, while taking in beautiful scenery and enjoying great food!

There is more than enough food in America to feed every man, woman and child, yet here in Northeast Louisiana, over 64,000 people struggle with hunger. The Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in Northeast Louisiana, providing over 7.1 million meals to those facing hunger in 12 parishes. This impact is made possible through the generosity of our supporters, volunteers, food donors and community distribution partners. At the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, we believe no one should go hungry.

The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana distributes food to over 60 non-profit community partner agencies that operate local pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger relief programs. These agencies are located in neighborhoods throughout 12 parishes in Northeast Louisiana and serve low income people in need of food assistance.

This program helps over 1,400 low-income senior citizens, aged 60 and older, stretch their food budgets by providing them with supplemental food each month. Seniors living on fixed incomes often have to choose between covering the cost of life-saving medications and buying the food they need to stay healthy.

The BackPack Program provides children with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources are not available. We currently provide Backpacks for 800 students every week at 20 Ouachita and Lincoln Parish schools.

The Kid’s Cabinet School Pantry program distributes food right on school grounds—a readily accessible source of food assistance for low-income students and their families. Currently the program serves 3,000 children who attend 8 schools in Madison, East Carroll, and Union parishes.

For every $10 donated, we are able to provide 55 meals to those in need. Your contribution will make a real difference in the lives of hungry people living in Northeast Louisiana. Donate by mail or on our website. Donate food, organize or participate in a food drive at your school, workplace, or civic club. Visit our website for a list of most needed items and tips for planning a successful food drive.

The Food Bank could not be successful without the many wonderful volunteers that pack food for our Senior and BackPack programs, assist with office work and help at events. Call our volunteer coordinator or visit our website to learn more.

If your church or non-profit agency would like to have a food pantry or a community meal program, we’d love to talk with you. We have information on our website that you can review to learn more, or please call 318-322-3567.

We have events throughout the year to help raise awareness and funds for our mission. Visit our website or Facebook page for a list of upcoming events.

DEAR MONROE COMMUNITY, as summer winds down and we gear up for the start of a new school year, I can’t help but reflect on a few thoughts from our journey through the uncharted waters that last year brought. It is no secret that students, teachers, parents, staff and school leadership faced significant challenges navigating the school year during a global pandemic. Even our most seasoned teachers had to learn new ways to plan, adjust, communicate, mentor, and teach as we learned much about ourselves during these unprecedented times. Our students were faced with tremendous challenges in learning from the countless number of changes that came their way seemingly on a weekly basis. Through it all, let me say how proud I am of our Neville faculty, staff, and especially our resilient students as we strove to WIN every day through this unique time together. We will take the lessons learned from our successes and setbacks into this new school year and improve our craft of educating students. We look forward to the kickoff of a new school year and all the possibilities that it brings!

We are thankful for our NAFA organization and all it brings to our Neville community. A great example are the NAFA scholarships totaling over $60,000 given to Tiger seniors each spring. Through an application process and committee vote, deserving seniors are awarded scholarships that help them begin their college careers. The class of 2021 endured like none other through the challenging conclusion of their high school career and many deserving seniors were awarded scholarships. We are proud of this class, their dedication, their accomplishments, and certainly for their resiliency. We wish them the best and look forward to seeing their future successes!

We also appreciate the work of the Bill Ruple/Charlie Brown scholarship golf committee as they put together another outstanding Tiger Scramble tournament held at Frenchman Bend’s golf course on June 18, 2021. The proceeds from this tournament go to fund a four year scholarship to two deserving students each year.

Principal Neville High School

THE FIELDHOUSE BAR AND GRILL is the brainchild of a member of an old Louisiana family. Restaurant entrepreneur Joey Trappey grew up in Cajun country as a part of the legendary Trappey’s food dynasty. As a result, Joey was no stranger to good eating or good business.After graduating from high school, Joey made his way to north Louisiana to attend the University of Louisiana Monroe. While at ULM, Joey was very active in the sports program playing both football and basketball. Monroe began to feel like home.

Once he graduated from ULM with his MBA, Joey saw an overwhelming need for a family-friendly, casual eatery near campus where locals could enjoy affordable, quality food and drinks. “Before the Fieldhouse, there was really nowhere like it to go after the game to carry on the celebration. I saw a need for a place that had great food and great service where people could be comfortable. So at age 26, I started a restaurant,” he explains.

After investigating possible franchises, Joey didn’t feel like any were a fit with his vision, so he dipped back into his food background, and The Fieldhouse was born. Due to the location’s proximity to campus and Trappey’s background on the football field and basketball court, the sports theme was an obvious choice. Giant screens adorn the walls of the eatery and are tuned to various sporting events. The laid-back establishment offers two dining rooms and a prominent bar area with a suitable selection of draft and bottled beers, wine and mixed drinks. However, it is the allstar menu that keeps patrons coming back. The most popular entree is the signature Fieldhouse burger. Although there are several other burgers to choose from that include distinctive toppings, the tried and true version remains the best seller since the restaurant doors first opened. The burger includes American cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickle. You can make it your own by choosing from a wheat, jalapeño or soft pretzel bun. The po-boys are another classic favorite and feature Leidenheimer French bread straight from New Orleans. And their wings never disappoint! “Our wings are the largest size available here,” said Joey. “It means a lot to provide our customers with a quality product for a good price. There is never a substitute for quality.” The menu also includes appealing appetizers like mozzarella sticks, eggrolls, fried pickles, fried okra, boudin balls, meat pies and more. There’s sandwiches, salads and quesadillas, so everyone can find something they like!

With seven 42-inch televisions, three 13- inch personal booth tvs and an 8-foot projection screen, you won’t miss any of the action with football season just around the corner!

Part sports bar, part family restaurant, The Fieldhouse is all southern hospitality, fantastic food, and local flavor.