Escapes
MAY 2021
48
NAUTICAL TIMES ON
THE
NORTHSHORE
W
GONE LAKESIDE
Old Mandeville, New Lens FROM BIKES TO BOATS, TWO SOUTHSHORE RESIDENTS SPEND THEIR FIRST WEEKEND IN OLD MANDEVILLE Story and photos by Alexandra Kennon
"St. Tammany's Manager of Marketing and Public Relations Anna Strider aboard Captain Rick Delaune's boat, the Windward Passage."
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very time I cross the Causeway, I’m surprised by how quickly the drive goes. On this occasion, it helped that my boyfriend Sam had taken on the crucial role of playlist curator. He filled the brief trip with a selection of Northshore all-stars neither of us had previously listened to, despite our mutual affinity for local music and statuses as long-ishtime Southshore residents. Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown’s synthesis of blues, country, and jazz; 12 Stones’ angsty grunge-rock; and Christian Serpas & Ghost Town’s classic country twang each surprised us with the sheer variety of genres emerging from Mandeville and the surrounding towns. Between the music and excited conversation (“See that sailboat out there? That’ll be us tomorrow!”), when we drove up to de la Bleau B&B in Old Mandeville it felt impossible that forty minutes had already passed since we left Mid-City. Raised on cement pillars and painted a bright teal (think Commander’s Palace, but more tropical), de la Bleau seemed to beckon us inside, saying “Relax: you’re on vacation now. C’mon in.” We carried our bags up the stairs and entered the front door into an expansive modern kitchen that opened to a living/dining room; all sparklingly clean and filled abundantly 48
with natural light. Distinctive décor touches abounded in the contemporary spaces—a beautiful wood carving of dolphins and a sea turtle leaping from waves stood as tall as a person near the front door, and the common areas and suites all featured a collection of nautically-themed artwork. We took mental note of the wet bar—filled with beer, sodas, and bottled waters for the taking—and headed upstairs to the Bleau Room, where we found a queensized bed, WiFi, and a sleek bathroom with a walk-in shower. But my favorite amenity was the sunlight-drenched window seat looking out over Lake Pontchartrain. We briefly settled in before venturing back out for the most obvious-yetdelightful activity Old Mandeville has to offer: a stroll along the Lake. On our way out we met our hosts, owners of de la Bleau Cindy and Clyde—a smiling, polo-shirt-clad couple who appeared as if they are perpetually on vacation, despite running the B&B consummately. After a brief and pleasant chat, we ducked out into the warm yet breezy late afternoon, heading toward the water. There, we joined joggers with their pups, a teenaged couple holding hands, one guy strumming an acoustic guitar and singing to no one in particular. The
M A Y 2 1 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M
S H O R E TO S H O R E
smattering of locals enjoying the beauty of Lake Pontchartrain made a potentially mundane experience feel special, communal. We took a break to rock back and forth on one of the swinging benches facing the water before walking down to the small sandy beach, then headed back toward de la Bleau to change for dinner. We got spiffed up, more for ourselves in excitement to be embarking on an actual dinner date than in accordance with the restaurant’s dress code, which is relatively casual. Recently vaccinated after beginning our relationship in the midst of the pandemic, dining at restaurants still feels somewhat like an indulgent novelty. To maximize the long-missed night out experience, we started our stroll to dinner by first popping into a local watering hole, The Barley Oak. Styled like an English pub with an edge of punk (artwork on skateboards adorns the deep red-trimmed and dark wood-paneled walls, and early 2000s pop-punk music fills the space), the balcony overlooking the water is what drew us in, but the deep leather couches and expansive international beer list kept us there for a while. Sam opted for a hefeweizen while I sipped a Louisiana gose, and we admired the several dogs who trotted by with their humans. Knowing we had a fine dinner
ahead of us, we managed to resist the soft pretzels, though I hear they are fantastic. A worthy choice for our first night out in a year, our dinner destination, Pat’s Rest Awhile, was perhaps the most talked about spot in Mandeville at the time, having just been opened in January by one of the Northshore’s most trusted master chefs. Chef Pat Gallagher’s newest development on the water is made up of three historic buildings, whose ambitious restorations have generated a buzz on their own accord. The restaurant’s main building was first completed as the fashionable Frapart Hotel in 1890. But the building spent the majority of the twentieth century as the Rest Awhile, a charity retreat for underprivileged single mothers, their children, and orphans from New Orleans. Two smaller cottages were also moved in and elevated to supplement the space of the main building; an expansive outdoor deck with seating and an oyster bar connects the structures. We joined St. Tammany’s Vice President of Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations Christina Cooper and her husband Tim at a picnic-style table on the raised deck overlooking Lake Pontchartrain. The offerings at Pat’s Rest Awhile are familiar and well-executed. This is not a menu that includes much in the way of surprises, because it doesn’t need to: Chef Gallagher knows what his guests like, and he and his team excel at the local staples. More complex, international, and modern offerings can be found elsewhere in Mandeville these days, anyway (and I’ll get to some). But when you’re craving the classics—gulf fish amandine, a double cut pork chop in a pecan bourbon glaze, a fried seafood platter, or a nice steak masterfully prepared and served in a historic, waterfront setting—look no further than Pat’s Rest Awhile. A sucker for an amandine, that’s what I had, and the dish—the fresh grilled fish topped generously with lumped crabmeat, toasted almonds, and brown butter sauce—stood up easily to any served at a New Orleans Grand Dame, I’d wager. Though, I must admit to a tinge of order-envy after tasting Christina’s cedar plank redfish with a citrus horseradish crust, which included impossibly-thin fried potato strings as a contrast to the supple seafood. I recommend not skipping chargrilled oysters to start—something about dining lakeside mandates oysters on the half shell. On a busy Saturday night, we found Chef Gallagher slinging said oysters on the grill behind the bar,
