November-December 2017 Inside Northside Magazine

495

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INSIDEPUB.com

MEN WHO COOK • MITCH KILGORE • BIG SKY RANCH • REVEILLON

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017 VOL. 32, NO. 6

November-December 2017

Vol. 32, No. 6

Publisher

Lori Murphy

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Editor-in-Chief Anne Honeywell

Senior Editor

Managing Editor

Jan Murphy Leah Draffen

Contributors are featured on page 16.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Art Director

Graphic Designer

Jennifer Starkey

Production Intern

Carlton Stewart

Brad Growden

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Business Manager

Senior Account Executives

Jane Quillin Poki Hampton

Candice Laizer

Barbara Roscoe

Account Executives

Barbara Bossier

Jonée Daigle-Ferrand

Corrinn Fisher

Amy Taylor

Susan Wormser

Advertising Coordinator

Margaret Rivera

Check us out online at insidepub.com.

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Advertise phone

(985) 626-9684

fax (985) 674-7721 email sales@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Contribute Please send items for Inside Scoop to scoop@insidepub.com.

Photos for Inside Peek, with captions, should be sent to peek@insidepub.com. Submit items for editorial consideration to editor@insidepub.com.

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On the cover

Contact

mail P.O. Box 9148

Mandeville, LA 70470 phone

(985) 626-9684

fax (985) 674-7721 Cover Artist Julie Silvers Find more on page 18.

website insidepub.com

Subscriptions 1 Year $18 2 Years $30 email subscriptions@insidepub.com

INSIDE NORTHSIDE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by M and L Publishing, LLC, PO Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 as a means of communication and information for St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy­right ©2017 by M & L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Inside Northside Magazine is created using the Adobe Creative Suite on Apple Macintosh computers.

page 60 page 52

page 42

after page 98

contents table of

Features

18 Art with Meaning Cover Artist Julie Silvers 34 A Gift of Home

The Evans House 42 The Whimsical World of Mitch Kilgore

52 Cat H(e)aven

Big Sky Ranch and CATNIP Foundation 60 Advocates for the Arts

Collectors Tim and Jan Lantrip 82 LIGO Gravitational Wave Detection Wins Nobel Prize

LSU faculty and students critical in this groundbreaking discovery. page 92 8

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84 Healthy Holiday Eating 92 Men Who Cook 2017

page 32

contents table of

Departments

page 74

12 Publisher’s Note 14 Editor’s Note 16 Contributors 24 INside Scoop 32 IN Other Words

An Old-Fashioned Christmas 40 IN Better Health

with Tiffany Evans

48 Generous Hearts

Ride. Return. Repeat.

58 IN the Bookcase 106 At the Table

Snippets of New Orleans

Reveillon 2017

by Emma Flick 108 INside Dining 66 IN Rhythm

Singer-Songwriter Jess Kerber

114 IN Love & Marriage

74 INside Look

Navy & Spruce

An Evening in the Vineyard Jenkins Jam

102 Wine Cellar The Business of Wine

122 Last Bite Curio

114 INside Peek 69 Flourishes

Featuring Extraordinary gifts Benefits of Home Gala and home accents Puttin’ on the Glitz

page 122

The Perfect Gift

by Lori Murphy This is a first for me. I don’t have an idea of what to get my son for his birthday.

Mind you, this is the first birthday celebration of him as my son, but he is a grown man. Our family has always been all girls, except for Rick and Max, the dog. So, I am great at chick birthday presents—but a guy? Clueless. To make matters worse, he is French. What does a new mother-in-law get a French son on his birthday?

I googled it. Recommendations included everything from a Louis Vuitton iPhone case or a leather man-bag to a really nice backgammon set.

I poured through back issues of Inside Northside to find something, and there were plenty of choices, but I couldn’t settle on the perfect—and most importantly, packable—present for my new son. Then it came to me that he had my most precious gift already. Maggie and Jeremy were married in Covington in the rain on January first. It was a beautiful and precious day.

There is nothing I can wrap that will feel as special as that.

It can be hard in this season of giving to feel like everything we choose is perfect. This year, I’ve decided to let the shopping guide me. No lists of what I am looking for—just images of family and friends in my mind.

When I see something that sings “perfect for Jeremy” or “perfect for our newest little one, Baby Jane,” then I will buy it. If all else fails, on the last day I will get everyone books. Who doesn’t love books? The gift is not nearly as important as the love and time we share during the holidays.

Have a grateful and generous Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for this year.

Editor’s Note

by Anne Honeywell My son loves to cook, and he is a very good cook. He likes to try new recipes or make up his own. Believe me—he is very good. Our friends and family tease him that he learned to cook to survive. I do not cook. I have never had confidence in the kitchen. I come from a long line of non-cooks, so, needless to say, I was excited when Jefferson discovered his prowess in the kitchen.

Everybody loves a man who can cook. In this issue, we introduce you to some of the 2017 Men Who Cook—the ‘celebrity’ chefs who will partner with local restaurants at this year’s fundraiser benefiting the Children’s Advocacy Center Hope House, which is dedicated to ending child abuse in St. Tammany and Washington parishes. This year’s cook-off on November 5 is on the top level of the Justice Center parking garage and will have music

by Four Unplugged, desserts, fabulous raffle items and so much more! If the men we’ve highlighted are any indication of how the night will turn out, get ready to have some fun!! Learn about these guys on page 94.

I know you will enjoy this issue of Inside Northside. It is packed with wonderful stories about great people doing amazing things all over the northshore. Many of you may have heard of Big Sky Ranch, but do you have a full grasp of the scope of their efforts? Mimi Knight tells us more about this incredible place and the good folks who make it all possible on page 52.

Mimi also wrote the article on page 42 about artisan Mitch Kilgore, whose talents abound.

The holidays are almost upon us. On page 106, Tom Fitzmorris writes about Reveillon. It’s not too early to think about making a reservation for this special celebration at one of the more than 60 restaurants that are already planning new, sumptuous menus.

At Thanksgiving, let us be grateful for all the blessings we have received—and may you and your family know the love, peace and joy of the holiday season.

p.s. For event tickets and more information on the 2017 Men Who Cook, visit cachopehouse.org. To purchase tip tickets, text MWC to 71777.

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Inside Northside

Contributors Our contributors give Inside Northside its voice, its personality and its feel. Here we are proud to highlight a few of them so that you can put a face with a name and get to know them.

Linda Trappey Dautreuil Linda Trappey Dautreuil is a painter and writer on Louisiana arts and culture.

A native of New Iberia, she moved to Covington in 1996. Linda received a BA in English and a BFA in visual arts from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. An active member of the local arts community, her paintings are in many corporate and private collections, including the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette.

On page 18, Linda tells the story of our cover artist Julie Silvers; on page 60, that of art advocates Jan and Tim Lantrip.

Tom Fitzmorris

Mimi Greenwood Knight

Becky Slatten

Tom Fitzmorris grew up in Treme, ate red beans every Monday from his Creole-French mother until he left home. Not long after that, he began writing a weekly restaurant review column that has continued 42 years. In 1975, he began a daily radio feature, which grew into his current three-hour daily talk show on 1350, 3WL. He is the author of several cookbooks, more than a dozen restaurant guidebooks, a daily online newsletter (nomenu. com), and joins us At the Table on page 106.

Mimi Greenwood Knight is a mother of four and a freelance writer with over five hundred articles and essays in print in national and regional magazines, devotionals and fifty anthologies, including two dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She lives on a small hobby farm in Folsom with her husband, David, where she enjoys gardening, beekeeping, Bible study, knitting and chicken wrangling. In this issue, Mimi writes about artisan Mitch Kilgore (page 42) and tells the story of Big Sky Ranch (page 52).

Becky Slatten is a native of Natchitoches, an LSU alumna, the mother of three children and a newlywed.

She divides her time between the northshore and New Orleans, writing for both Inside Northside (since 2007) and Inside New Orleans. Becky loves telling the stories of people and events unique to the area and puts her own twist on topics in IN Other Words— in this issue on page 32.

Other Voices: Gretchen Armbruster, Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, Leah Draffen, Candra George, Thomas B. Growden, Poki Hampton, Bill Kearney and Chris Rigol.

16

Inside Northside

is common for many artists, even those who may not have formal instruction. Observation, a desire to make things, imaginative expression, creative problem solving and exposure to the visual arts provide a good start. Julie Silvers was raised in in a home where her mother, Susan Wittenberg, actively pursued studio life as an abstract painter in New Orleans. Julie attributes her awareness and love of contemporary visual arts to the many hours she spent watching her mother work. A large painting

by Wittenberg, one of many throughout the Silvers home, provides a focal point in the sitting room adjacent to the spacious foyer. Natural light animates

Art With Meaning Cover Artist Julie Silvers

JULIE SILVERS SURROUNDS HERSELF with art.

In a light-filled room, she overlooks manicured gardens accenting the architecture of Pio Lyons and contemporary sculptures by Arthur Silverman, Steve Martin and other noted Louisiana artists. Indoors, the collection of “high and low” or whatever strikes her as “art filled with soul,” is interspersed with her own sculptures and paintings from various stages in her life and artistic career.

Her philosophy has always been “when I sold one, I bought one.” The result has been the accumulation of an impressive range of artwork. As intriguing as such a strategy may be, the collection also reveals her interest in the artist as model in contemporary art. The figurative painting by Blake Boyd is one of several images by painters and photographers whose works include Silvers as model. Others are more specific in keeping with contemporary portraits and include images of Silvers and her family or Silvers’ photographs of her daughter, Taylor. The integration of Silvers as collector, maker and model fascinates.

Developing skills in the visual arts early in life 18

Inside Northside

the bright colors and atmospheric qualities of the abstract expressionist forms and shapes populating the canvas surface. Silvers describes a special appreciation for the accomplishments of her mother as an artist.

“She worked very hard and participated in numerous exhibitions in New Orleans and various places in Louisiana and Mississippi. Her dedication extended >>

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

by Linda T. Dautreuil

beyond the studio. I remember not only watching her paint, but I also remember helping her transport and install her paintings in venues around the city. As a young person, I am not sure I fully appreciated why she worked so diligently.”

What Silvers always knew was that she loved all forms of art and especially crafts when she was a student attending Isidore Newman School. “I loved to doodle on paper, in books, even on clothing and fabrics. I was especially interested in the nude and the female form. Abstract Expressionism represented another generation. In some ways I wanted to be myself, not a copy of my mother. I considered being a lawyer, then changed course and graduated from Tulane with an undergraduate degree in social sciences, and later, an MSA in social work, all totally different career paths from the arts. By the ’80s, however, I was entranced with Pop Art. I suspected a change was on the way.”

Continuing the tour of the Silvers collection reveals an artist intensely interested in the visual arts as an intrinsic part of her everyday life.

Approaching her indoor studio, the experience is an eclectic blending of works by established as well as lesser-known artists whose works were purchased from galleries, art markets, interior designers and 20

Inside Northside

individuals from Louisiana, other cities around the country and Europe. All were selected with a discerning eye and a fondness for “art with meaning.”

“There is no background art here,” she says with a smile. “I like to feel a connection to the work—my own as well as the artwork in the collection. I like work that has vitality—open, almost primitive and childlike in application.”

Silvers’ studio is spacious but not pristine. It is a fully functional working space that is obviously in operation, with ample views of the outdoors and a small courtyard for breaks during the workday.

A large kiln is easily accessible and expected in the workspace of an artist whose ceramic figurative

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

sculpture, abstract fine/functional vessels and largeand small-scale totems appeal to a broad audience.

Her process working with clay evolved over a 30-year period, coinciding with a decision to pursue sculpture and painting with a serious intent to exhibit. “Making art requires opening up to experience. I don’t have a formal background in art. I learned my skills through observations of art, the figure and nature. I took a few classes and workshops along the way, but I have always had a strong feeling about the kind of work I like and the kind of work I want to make. I follow my intuition. I use whatever is available, because there is beauty to be explored in so many ordinary things.”

It is not surprising that Silvers loves to travel, and

she admits it is essential in her process. “When you travel, you learn and grow,” she says. I am influenced by a world view that includes what is going on not only in painting and sculpture but also in fashion and music. I travel to New York several times a year. I am receptive to the feeling of creative energy I experience there, and I feel recharged when I return.”

Whereas sculptures and many functional vessels

by Silvers do not rely on color, it is the neutrality of the white or black clay that emphasizes the form, textures and patterning characteristic of her style.

Her paintings and her recent works in ceramics have many qualities in common, but the light, whimsical color palette she uses in a two-dimensional format >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 21

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

adds a different flavor to organic shapes and repeating patterns brightly rendered.

It was after Hurricane Katrina that Silvers began making paintings with the idea of exploring her early figurative doodles and embracing the example set by her mother. The response to these pieces was overwhelming. She recalls that she was discovered by a Houston Gallery while unloading a collection of paintings for an exhibition in Texas. “A person I never met before asked to see the works as I pulled them out of my car. As a result of that chance encounter, I exhibited and sold them all. More recently, my work has been exhibited in Laura Rathe Fine Art Houston and at my first New York exhibition, hosted by Ezair Gallery. Over the years, I have been affiliated with several galleries in New Orleans. In 2015, I decided to take the next step. During White Linen Night, I hosted the grand opening of my first gallery, which was on Julia Street, Julie Silvers Art.” The premier reception gave full rein to the intensity of Silvers’ vision. The gallery was filled with art, music and fashion.

“The crowds were huge that evening,” she recalls. “It was a great feeling to be a part of that energy.”

Then came another opportunity, one that clarified her goals in a way she had not considered. Silvers received an invitation to exhibit in the Southern Style Show House and to be a featured speaker among a select group of artists and designers in the Southern Style Now Festival. In her presentation, she described entering a new phase in her life and career. “I spoke of discovering a sense of myself through my work and of gaining confidence as opportunities presented themselves. I decided to invest in myself. I devised a plan, a marketing strategy, opened my gallery and I maintain a steady work ethic in my studio. I realize my love of all forms of art is my strength. I ignore negative ideas separating craft and fine art, and I use all of my skills in making paintings and sculptures. Many women commented that hearing my story empowered them to move forward with their ideas. That was very gratifying for me.”

Today, Silvers’ gallery is located on Magazine Street.

Bringing her artwork onto the six-mile-long stretch between the Garden District and Uptown has been a dream come true. “This move has been great for me. The excitement on Magazine is palpable—so many wonderful artists, restaurants and shops—it feels right. It feels like I am home.”

Silvers work is exhibited at Julie Silvers Art, 3714 Magazine Street, New Orleans. More information may be found at juliesilvers.com.

22

Inside Northside

INSIDE

Christmas Past Festival December 9 Christmas Past Festival. Old-time holiday theme, arts and crafts, food/beverage booths, bands, strolling carolers. Girod St., Mandeville. 9am-3pm. 624-3147. oldmandevillebiz.com.

the definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment

1 Boudin, Bourbon & Beer. Champions Square, New Orleans. 6-10:30pm. Adults

Patron party, 7-8pm; gala, 8-11pm.

630 Royal St, New Orleans. (888) 557-

dfsneworleans.org/fashion-gala.

2406. rauantiques.com.

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Covington Farmers

21+. boudinbourbonandbeer.com.

Market. Covington Trailhead, 419 N.

1-Dec 2 Storyville: Madams and Music.

New Hampshire St. 10am-2pm. 966-

The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres

2 Fashion Gala. Presented by the Oscar

Ballin’s LTD, 806 E Boston, Covington.

892-0025.

2-3 Essence of Style Design Symposium.

Interior designer Richard Keith, antique textile designer Rebecca Vizard.

St, New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4pm.

J. Tolmas Charitable Trust benefitting

Proceeds benefit Longue Vue House

Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

Dress for Success. Generations Hall,

and Gardens. Catering by Brennan’s.

210 Andrew Higgins, New Orleans.

Designer Reception, Nov 2, $125,

1-Jan 20 Luxury & Leisure in Britain in 24

1786. covingtonfarmersmarket.org.

3 Not Your Daughters Jean Fit Event.

I n s i d e N orth s i d e

photo: CHRISTOPHER RIGOL

November

the 19th Century. M.S. Rau Antiques,

Longue Vue House & Gardens, 7 Bamboo Rd, New Orleans, 5-7pm.

Luncheon and lecture, Nov 3, $145 (members, $125), The Cannery, 3803 Toulouse St, New Orleans, 10am-2pm.

(504) 488-5488. longuevue.com.

2-5 Harvest Wine and Food Festival.

Produced by Destin Charity Wine Auction.

Some of the world’s finest wine and culinary selections. Watercolor, Florida. dcwaf.org.

3 The Pfister Sisters. Dew Drop Jazz Hall, 430 Lamarque St, Mandeville. 6:30-9pm. $10. dewdropjazzhall.com.

3-4 Pontchartrain Film Festival.

Mandeville Trailhead. (504) 475-0257. pontchartrainfilmfestival.com.

3, 17 Friday Nites on the Square. Nov 3, Cajun Nite with Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band. Nov 17, BBQ Nite with Four Unplugged. TerraBella Village, 111 TerraBella Blvd. 5:30-8:30pm. 8717171. terrabellavillage.com.

3-28 Only Imagine. St. Tammany Parish Library, 555 Robert Blvd, Slidell. Opening reception, Nov. 3, 6-8pm. slidellartleague.org.

4 Covington Art Market. Art Alley at STAA, 320 N Columbia St. 9am-1pm. 8928650. sttammanyartassociation.com.

4 Darrell, Darrel, and Daryl with Cousin Darryl! Old Feed Store Music Series.

Marsolan’s Feed and Seed, 314 E. Gibson St., Covington. 12:00-1:00pm.

Free. 515-1934.

4 Falaya Fest. Featuring Dash Rip Rock, The Ardent Spirits, The Cheeseburger Ranchers, Julie Odell, Amedee Frederick V and Grace Billie. Bogue Falaya Park, 213 Park Dr, Covington. 3-8:30pm. Advance, $12; gate, $14. 892-1873. covla.com.

4 Reflections of Me: A Children’s Mirror Mobile Making Workshop.

St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N Columbia St, Covington. $20, supplies included. Pre-registration required. 8928650. sttammanyartassociation.com/ education.

4-5 Peter Anderson Festival. Presented

>>

Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 25

Inside Scoop

by Blue Moon. 400 fine arts, crafts and food vendors. Live music and more.

Ocean Springs, Mississippi. 9am-5pm. peterandersonfestival.com.

4-5, 10-12 The Boy in the Bathroom. 30 by Ninety Theatre, 880 Lafayette St, Mandeville.

Adult, $21; senior/military, $19; student, $16.

(844) THE-3090. 30byNinety.com.

4-30 Jim Seitz Exhibit. The Degas Gallery, 604 Julia St, New Orleans. Opening reception Nov 4, 6-8pm. (504) 826-9744. jimseitz.com.

4, 11, 18, 25 Camellia City Farmers Market. 1808 Front St, Slidell. 8am-12pm. 640-7112. camelliacitymarket.org.

4, 11, 18, 25 Covington Farmers Market.

602 Columbia St. 8am-12pm. 966-1786. covingtonfarmersmarket.org.

4, 11, 18, 25 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm. 624-3147. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com.

5 Men Who Cook 2017. Cook-off, music by Four Unplugged, raffles and more. Top of Justice Center Parking Garage. 4-7pm. $80; couple, $150. cachopehouse.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 Abita Springs Farmers Market. Abita Springs Trailhead. 12-4pm.

807-4447. townofabitasprings.com.

6 St. Anselm Golf Tournament. Beau Chêne Country Club. Check-in, 10am; shotgun start, 11am. $125 per golfer. office@stanselmmadisonville.org. 845-7342.

7 Sister Survivors Support Group. Free support group for any female receiving treatment or who has completed treatment for breast cancer. First Tuesday of each month. St. Tammany Cancer Center, 1203 S. Tyler St, Covington.

7-8pm. 276-6832.

9 Wine & Dine. Benefiting Hospice Foundation of the South. Sponsored by Acquistapace’s Covington Supermarket.

Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville. 6:30-9:30pm. $75 26

I n s i d e N orth s i d e

donation. wineanddinetickets.com.

10 Northlake Newcomers Club Luncheon and Fashion Show presented by

Lamarque St, Mandeville. 6:30-9pm. $10. dewdropjazzhall.com.

17 Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique with

Stein Mart. Tchefuncta Country Club,

Strauss Horn Concerto. LPO Concert.

2 Pinecrest Dr, Covington. Doors open,

Covington First Baptist Church, 16333

10am. Guests, $29; members, $26.

Hwy 1085. 7:30pm. $20-$55. (504) 523-

newcomers41@gmail.com. (803) 730-7831.

6530. lpomusic.org.

10 Ochsner Moonlight and Miracles

18 Abita Springs Opry. Abita Town Hall,

Gala. Benefiting Ochsner Cancer

22161 Level St. Doors open, 5:45pm; show,

Services. Mercedes-Benz Superdome,

7-9pm. $18. 892-0711. abitaopry.com.

1500 Sugar Bowl Dr, New Orleans.

18-Feb 25 Prospect. 4: The Lotus in Spite

6-pm-midnight. Tickets, $400. (504) 842-

of the Swamp. Citywide triennial of

7113. ochsner.org/giving/donate/special-

contemporary art. New Orleans. Preview

events/moonlight-miracles-gala.

days, Nov 16-17; opening gala, evening of

10, 11 Iris Fall Stock and 2018 Spring Collection Trunk Show. Ballin’s LTD, 806 E Boston, Covington. 892-0025.

11 FORESTival. A celebration of art and nature. Music, art activities, guided walks, food, silent auction and more. Studio in

Nov 17. prospectneworleans.org.

22-Dec 30 Skyscapes. Artist Billy Solitario’s 2017 show. LeMieux Galleries, 332 Julia St, New Orleans. (504) 522-5988. billysolitario.com.

23 Turkey Trot. 5K and 1-mile fun run.

the Woods, 13401 Patterson Rd, New

Benefitting Md Anderson Network.

Orleans. 11am-5pm. Adults, $10 suggested

TerraBella Village, 111 TerraBella Blvd.

donation. astudiointhewoods.org.

7am. 871-7171. terrabellavillage.com.

11-12 Lilly’s Birthday Event. Palm VIllage,

23-26 Colorful Weekend. Cyber Funday

A Lilly Pulizter Signature Store, 2735 US

following on Nov. 27. Palm VIllage, A Lilly

190 C, Mandeville. 778-2547.

Pulizter Signature Store, 2735 US 190 C,

11-12 Three Rivers Art Festival. Juried open-air art market features artists from

Mandeville. 778-2547.

24-Jan 1 Celebration in the Oaks. City

28 states in 200+ tents along Columbia

Park, New Orleans. (504) 483-9415.

Street. Live music, Children’s Discovery

celebrationintheoaks.com.

Area, demonstrations, food court.

26 Teddy Bear Tea 2017. Holiday food,

Downtown Covington. 10am-5pm. Free.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, specialty teas

705-7968. threeriversartfestival.com.

and tasty pastries. The Roosevelt

12 Empty Bowl. Food tastings, live

New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel,

music and a silent auction. Sponsored

130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans.

by the Old Mandeville Business

1pm. Reservations, (504) 335-3129.

Association benefitting The Samaritan

therooseveltneworleans.com.

Center. Pontchartrain Yacht Club, 140

27-Dec 2 Chan Luu Trunk Show. Ballin’s

Jackson Ave, Mandeville 3-6pm. $40.

LTD, 806 E Boston, Covington. 892-

oldmandevillebiz.com.

0025. chanluu.com.

16 Rocky Mountain High Christmas – The Music of John Denver. OnSTAGE at the Fuhrmann closes its 2017 season

December 1 David L. Harris. Dew Drop Jazz Hall,

with John Denver tribute, artist Ted Vigil.

430 Lamarque St, Mandeville. 6:30-9pm.

Fuhrmann Auditorium, 317 N Jefferson

$10. dewdropjazzhall.com.

St, Covington. 892-1873. covla.com.

17 Indian Blue. Dew Drop Jazz Hall, 430

1-2 Chan Luu Trunk Show. Ballin’s LTD, 806 E Boston, Covington. 892-0025.

>>

Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 27

Inside Scoop chanluu.com.

1-2 Storyville: Madams and Music. The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Williams

Julia St, New Orleans. (504) 522-5988.

St, New Orleans. 4-8pm. Free. 845-9824.

billysolitario.com.

madisonvillechamber.org.

1-Jan 1 Celebration in the Oaks. City

2 LPO Yuletide Celebration. Our Lady

Research Center, 410 Chartres St, New

Park, New Orleans. (504) 483-9415.

of Lourdes, 3924 Berkley St, Slidell.

Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4pm. Free.

celebrationintheoaks.com.

2:30pm. $20-$37. (504) 523-6530.

(504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

1-2, 8-9 Christmas Under the Stars.

Griffith Park, Slidell. 6-9pm. Free. 6464375. myslidell.com.

1-Jan 3 Marcia Holmes Solo Exhibition.

Degas Gallery, 604 Julia St, New Orleans.

Preview party, Dec 1. marciaholmes.com.

1-Jan 20 Luxury & Leisure in Britain in

lpomusic.org.

2 Self Reflection: Photographs from the New Orleans Museum of Art Panel Discussion. Russell Lord, NOMA’s

1-3 Christmas Extravaganza Arts and

the 19th Century. M.S. Rau Antiques,

Freeman Family Center Curator of

Crafts Expo. Over 500 artists and

630 Royal St, New Orleans. (888) 557-

Photographs, Prints and Drawings; and

craftsmen from a multi-state area. St.

2406. rauantiques.com.

John Valentino, Southeastern Louisiana

Tammany Parish Fairgrounds, Covington. $5. 796-5853. steinhauerproductions.com.

1-3 Christmas in the Country. This celebration of the season combines

1-Feb 25 Prospect. 4: The Lotus in

University Professor of New Media and

Spite of the Swamp. Citywide triennial

Animation. St. Tammany Art Association,

of contemporary art. New Orleans.

320 N Columbia St, Covington. 4pm.

prospectneworleans.org.

892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

intriguing shopping opportunities with

2 Christmas Tour of Homes. Tour

lots of old-fashioned fun for the whole

contemporary homes in West

Holiday food, Santa and Mrs. Claus,

family. St. Francisville. (225) 635-3873.

Feliciana Parish. (225) 635-3873.

specialty teas and tasty pastries. The

stfrancisvillefestivals.com.

stfrancisvillefestivals.com.

Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria

1-30 Skyscapes. Artist Billy Solitario’s 2017 show. LeMieux Galleries, 332

2 Merry Madisonville and Tree Lighting.

Madisonville Town Hall, 403 St. Francis

2-3, 9-10, 16-24 Teddy Bear Tea 2017.

Hotel, 130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans.

1pm. Reservations, (504) 335-3129.

therooseveltneworleans.com.

2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Camellia City

statewide celebration of the arts.

Tchefuncta Country Club, 2 Pinecrest Dr,

Holiday art market at St. Tammany

Covington. Doors open, 10am. Guests,

Farmers Market. 1808 Front

Art Association, shopping events, and

St, Slidell. 8am-12pm. 640-7112.

performances, including Chris Rose with

camelliacitymarket.org.

Dustan Louque at Playmakers Theater

stroll available in advance only. Old

Dec. 7. Various locations. 892-8650.

Mandeville Businesses on Girod Street

shoplocalartistsweek.com.

from Mandeville Trailhead to Jefferson St.

2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Covington Farmers Market. 602 Columbia St. 8am-12pm.

966-1786. covingtonfarmersmarket.org.

2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm. 624-3147. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com.

3 Covington Art Market. Art Alley at STAA, 320 N Columbia St. 12-5pm. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

3 Mirror Mirror. Outdoor holiday tea for

3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Abita Springs Farmers Market. Abita Springs Trailhead. 12-4pm.

807-4447. townofabitasprings.com.

6, 13, 20, 27 Covington Farmers Market.

$29; members, $26. (803) 730-7831.

8 Sips of the Season Stroll. Mugs for

5-9pm. 624-3147. oldmandevillebiz.com.

8, 10 Here We Come A-Caroling Holiday Concert. Presented by Northlake Performing Arts Society. Dec 8, Hosanna

Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New

Lutheran Church, 2480 Hwy 190,

Hampshire St. 10am-2pm. 966-1786.

Mandeville and Dec 10, Our Lady of

covingtonfarmersmarket.org.

Lourdes, 3924 Berkley St, Slidell. Fri, 7pm;

7 Angels of Light. Tree for Life is lighted as members of the community honor a loved

Sun, 2pm. $20. 276-9335. npas.info.

9 Deck the Rails Children’s Event.

children during Shop Local Artists

one. All proceeds benefit St. Tammany

Covington Trailhead. 10am-12pm. Free.

Week. Tea, Lee Ln, Covington. Tickets,

Hospital Hospice. Tammany Parish Hospital

892-1873. covla.com.

$20; adults, $30. Exhibit, 320 N Columbia St, Covington. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

3-9 Shop Local Artists Week. Weeklong,

lobby, Covington. 5:30pm. stph.org.

8 Northlake Newcomers Club December

9 Christmas Past Festival. Old-time holiday theme, arts and crafts, food/

Holiday Luncheon. Music by the Crescent

beverage booths, bands, strolling

City Sound Chorus of Sweet Adelines.

carolers. Girod St, Mandeville. 9am-3pm. >>

Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 29

Inside Scoop 624-3147. oldmandevillebiz.com.

9 Winter on the Water and Boat Parade.

Christmas parade along the lakefront with seasonal music, performances and Santa’s arrival (bring your camera!) as the mayor lights the century-old oaks. Mandeville Lakefront, Lakeshore Drive from Harbor to Gazebo. Sat, 4-7pm; tree lighting, 5:15pm.

626-3147. cityofmandeville.com.

9-10 Lilly Mug Promotion. Palm VIllage, A Lilly Pulizter Signature Store, 2735 US 190 C, Mandeville. 778-2547.

9-Jan 27 Wetlands. Works of John Valentino. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N Columbia St, Covington. Opening reception, Dec. 9, 6-9pm. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

10 Christmas on the Northshore 2017.

Featuring the St. Timothy Choir, Northshore Orchestra and guest soloists. St. Timothy on the Northshore UMC, 335 Asbury Dr, Mandeville. 3pm and 7pm. 626-3307.

10 Covington Heritage Foundation Holiday Home Tour. Historic downtown Covington homes. 2:30-5:30pm. covingtonheritagefoundation.com.

14-25 Slidell’s Bayou Christmas. Light displays animated to holiday music, live entertainment, food, handcrafts and photos with Santa. Benefitting Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana.

Heritage Park, 1701 Bayou Ln. 6-10pm.

Free. 960-1241.

15 End of Year Sale. Paisley Boutique, 2180 N Causeway Blvd #10, Mandeville.

10am-6pm. shoppaisleyboutique.com.

15 Peter Harris Trio & Germaine Bazzle.

Dew Drop Jazz Hall, 430 Lamarque St, Mandeville. 6:30-9pm. $10. dewdropjazzhall.com.

15-25 Christmas on Ice. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi. Tickets starting at $12.95. (888) 566-7469. beaurivage.com.

21-24 Pineapple Coin Case Promo. Palm VIllage, A Lilly Pulizter Signature Store.

2735 US 190 C, Mandeville. 778-2547.

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I n s i d e N orth s i d e

IN Other Words

by Becky Slatten

An OldFashioned Christmas IT’S THAT MAGICAL TIME of year again—the season for peace on earth and goodwill toward men and cooking and shopping and parties and Hallmark Christmas movies. In my family, there’s no such thing as a new holiday tradition.

Everything must be done exactly as it’s been done from the beginning of time.

On the evening of Thanksgiving (which is the most overrated day of the year in my opinion—the work-to-fun ratio is way out of whack), we throw the rotten pumpkins in the trash and crank up the Christmas tunes—but only the oldies by Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como and friends.

And then we decorate. Everything. One of our oldest traditions is called the Family Christmas Tree Decorating Party, and it goes something like this: After finally choosing a date that works for all kids (a three-day ordeal involving an infuriating group text), I go to a lot of trouble to create a very festive holiday atmosphere for the family. I’ve assembled…I mean chopped down…the tree and have hauled several huge bins filled with lights and ornaments, etc., down the stairs in preparation for this most timehonored tradition. The children gather in the living room and immediately sit down and look bored (my husband usually finds somewhere to hide). I gently coax them into helping with the lights, and soon we start to reminisce about the different ornaments, which often leads to fighting over ownership, which 32 Inside Northside

is not allowed. Each child hangs approximately two ornaments on the tree before inconspicuously drifting away until I find myself alone with Bing Crosby and the Christmas tree and a stout egg nog, while they watch something inappropriate on television upstairs.

My kids are always much more eager to make their Christmas gift lists than to help decorate the tree. I don’t know about you, but I feel like they get Christmas 365 days a year. They always “need” something, but that is all forgotten by December.

I like to threaten them with a love poem in lieu of gifts on Christmas morning, but they don’t want my love—they want merchandise. And heaven forbid one child gets more than another, I can see them taking inventory as the presents pile up.

However, we all have agreed that we will be happy with less this year, there are too many people in need in the wake of recent hurricanes and our money can be better spent.

Certain traditional Christmas food items are also considered non-negotiable. If there are no greenbean bundles wrapped in bacon on the dinner table, I may as well put Christmas back in the box and call the therapist. It’s possible that I have perpetuated this obsession with holiday food. I insisted my mother make dirty rice from scratch every single Christmas—before the food processor was invented.

That is love. Dirty rice is even more of a pain in the

ass than green-bean roll ups, by the way. Don’t judge, but we only serve the jelly kind of cranberry sauce right out of the can, and I really like it that way. And nothing says Old-Fashioned Christmas like an Old Fashioned or a Milk Punch on Christmas day; after all that shopping, wrapping and cooking, I think we’re entitled, don’t you?

I have another confession: yes, I binge-watch Hallmark Christmas movies, and sometimes I tear up a little. I know I’m not alone. If I were, there wouldn’t be so many dang commercials. But you don’t have to tell anyone you can’t resist those sappy, predictable, heartwarming Christmas movies. That can be your dirty little secret. Sometimes, we play a game while watching a Hallmark Christmas movie—every time someone says ‘Christmas cookie’ or ‘Christmas magic,’ take an imaginary shot; at the end, assess your level of imaginary intoxication. You should try it.

So, cheers to your old-fashioned Christmas. May it be filled with the people and the traditions you hold dear.

And perhaps an Old Fashioned, too.

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A Gift of Home

by Poki Hampton

The Evans House

WHAT A THOUGHTFUL husband Scott Evans is! As a 50th birthday gift for his wife, Michelle, Scott called in Jennifer Dicerbo Interiors by The French Mix to update their Tchefuncte home.

Using some of the couple’s existing pieces and adding furniture and accessories in a color palette of warm and neutral tones that fit seamlessly into the house, Jennifer helped to create a stylish, yet serene, setting. >>

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As you enter the home’s spacious foyer, the graceful, curved, iron railing of the staircase is the focal point. Two French-style arm chairs in champagne silk velvet sport pillows of cream plumage.

The round iron-and-glass table, with gold and silver leaf, is topped by an alabaster lamp with a coconut-white silk shade. Art above the table is by Michelle Tullos.

Accenting the arched stone fireplace, the centerpiece of the living room, is a modern acrylic tryptic by Michelle Y Williams. For extra storage, Dicerbo designed the custom bonnet-top armoire, which is painted in pewter grey with a soft warm glaze. The contemporary line sofa is upholstered in an icy-grey-blue silk velvet. Antique iron and mirrored glass form the cocktail table. The custom draperies are in embroidered linen in tones of oyster, taupe and soft blue. A >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 37

creamy buff leather chair near the fireplace is sculptural in shape with nail-head trim.

The rug is hand-knotted silk and wool in tones of soft grey, blue and cream. Atop a round table sits a crystal column lamp with a crisp, white linen shade.

With its warm Old Chicago brick walls and floors, cypress double door with cypress over-door and beams, and tongue-and-groove cypress ceiling, the keeping room is the perfect place for casual dining. Jennifer designed a custom banquette covered in dove grey faux shagreen. The dining chair cushions are in a durable performance fabric, as well.

Suspended over the homeowner’s original turned-leg table is an iron-and-clear-glass beaded chandelier.

An Old Chicago brick arch leads into the formal dining room. Anchoring 38

Inside Northside

the 18th century-style dining table and chairs is a hand-knotted, silk-and-wool rug in rich French blue and cream. The chair seats and arm chairs are covered in a textured bone velvet. An elegant, custom Julie Neil chandelier hangs over the table. Above the traditional sideboard is a French-style mirror in gold leaf. Two crystal lamps with painted parchment shades flank the mirror. Four French intaglios are framed in simple gold frames.

Custom draperies in oyster silk Dupioni with haze banding frame the arched French doors.

Complete with a spacious seating area, the master retreat is the perfect place to relax after a long day. The king-size bed boasts an upholstered headboard; a white matelassé coverlet and monogramed shams are the foundation for embroidered silk throw pillows in sea-glass blue that match the Belgian linen bed skirt. Over the bed is a resin-covered contemporary painting by Julie Gahagan. A leather bench in Knottingham Cream sits at the foot of the bed. The Debonaire blue of the antique Oushak rug is picked up in the mohair of the small sofa in the sitting room. A petite French chandelier and Dupioni silk embroidered draperies complete the room.

“Working with Michelle and Scott was such a pleasure,” says Dicerbo. “We were able to pick out exactly the items they wanted from our showroom and ordered customized pieces as well to make their home their own.”

“Jennifer was delightful! She was always responsive to our questions and choices,” says Michelle. “She worked in a timely manner to meet our deadline of my 50th birthday party!”

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IN Better Health Health Concern: Debilitating arm pain and weakness.

Treatment: Artificial disk replacement.

AS A HAIRDRESSER, Tiffany Evans relies on her arms and hands to make her clients feel beautiful. In the spring of this year, she began experiencing neck pain and loss of feeling in her right arm and fingers. “After weeks of pain, an ER visit and two appointments with my primary physician, I was approved for a MRI,” says Tiffany.

She was soon referred to Dr. Justin L. Owen at Culicchia Neurological Clinic. “When he looked at my MRI, Dr. Owen immediately knew what was wrong and that I needed surgery fast to not have further damage.”

“Tiffany suffered from a herniated intervertebral disc of the cervical spine at the C5-6 level,” says Dr. Owen. “Because she is relatively young and her symptoms were emanating from compression of the nerve as opposed to arthritis, she was a good candidate for an artificial disc.

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Inside Northside

“In addition, she was losing arm strength as a result of the nerve compression, so she was a candidate for surgery to avoid further nerve damage and weakness. Implantation of an artificial disc involves much less recovery time than traditional spine fusion surgery. And, it would allow her to return to work within six weeks, which she did.”

The implantation was a success, leaving Tiffany relieved. “As soon as I woke up in recovery, I had immediate relief,” Tiffany smiles. “Post surgery, I am 100-percent pain free.”

For the first six weeks after surgery, she was restricted to light activity. “After that, she was released from all restrictions, returned to work and is doing very well,” adds Dr. Owen.

“I’m thankful to Dr. Owen for being so caring and professional,” says Tiffany. “Everything was fantastic from beginning until now.”

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

with Tiffany Evans

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

of Mitch Kilgore MITCH KILGORE ADMITS he’s more than a little ADD. But over the past 69 years, man, has it worked for him. “I thank God every day that I’m ADD,” he laughs. “I think it makes me more creative. When I have such an array of projects going, all in different stages… this one needs time for the glue to dry, but this one’s ready for attention… this one requires a 50-mile roundtrip for supplies, but I finally realize what’s missing from this one… I think it allows ideas to gestate.” In fact,

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photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

in his workshop, Kilgore has a 9-footlong carved wooden fish that’s been “complete” for a year and a half. But in that way that artists just know, he knows it lacks something and is waiting for the fish to tell him what.

Fish are Kilgore’s current obsession—all sizes and mediums and styles. Step inside his designated booth at Clayton House Antiques in Covington, and you’re transported into the mind of a vibrant almost-septuagenarian.

Swimming about his booth are carved wooden fish from three inches to nine feet. There are realistic incarnations and whimsical interpretations. There’s a 9-foot alligator gar with actual alligator teeth (purchased, Kilgore says, “by the bucketful” from the Honey Island Swamp gift shop). Other fish are painted on repurposed wooden planks. And one sleepy-eyed gator floats life-size on weathered planking with his reflection wavering beneath him. Some are sealed for outdoor display and others are clearly meant for indoors. There’s even a bowl proffering free wooden “Jesus fish.”

Corrugated cardboard tags delineate the types of wood Kilgore used for each project and often what was going through his head when he created it: centuries-old sinker cypress rescued from 30 feet below the Amite River, southern yellow pine Kilgore >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 43

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paying homage to any flaws or idiosyncrasies in the wood, it’s evident he’s enjoying himself. His signature eyes, often accented with abalone, mother of pearl or ebony, are attached with a magnet, so with the slightest adjustment, the fish’s gaze can be redirected and his mood altered. There are wooden crabs too, of many sizes, built on layers of laser-cut wood so they mount on the wall like sculpture.

Clayton House Antiques co-owner Craig Cordell says Kilgore has quite a following: “His fans stop in to see what he’s got that’s new. Friends of friends will walk in and ask, ‘Where’s the fish guy?’ A lot of folks around here have condos on the Gulf or fishing camps on the river, and they buy Mitch’s work to furnish them.” Kilgore would love to see some of his larger pieces in local seafood restaurants.

Nicole Dematteo carries Kilgore’s artwork in her Cypress Custom Framing in Covington and says he’s just the kind of southern artist her customers love, especially those from out of state. She says, “Mitch is the quintessential Louisiana artist. People go crazy over his fish and crabs. He’s a great representation of our state.”

Seafood art is just Kilgore’s latest passion. The

photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

says he “fished” from a management thinning project in Southeast Louisiana, walnut he hung onto for 40 years waiting for the right project, and one oversized creation that was carved from wood carbon-dated to be 3,300 years old.

Kilgore adds playful tidbits on some and keeps others real-to-life. Some fish have hundreds of individual scales carved to the minutest detail, and others have quirky, psychedelic paint jobs. With Kilgore’s attention to detail and playfulness, always

list of jobs he has done—and done well—boggles the mind. As a young man, he obtained his B.S. in nautical science and “went to sea,” working his way up from deckhand to captaining his own boat, traveling to African, Europe and the Middle East.

In the early ’70s, he opened a retail store, Out of the Woods on Carrollton and St. Charles in New Orleans, selling customizable wooden signs.

One store led to two, then three and, before long, Kilgore had more than 50 employees cranking out hundreds of thousands of signs and more than 60 retailers selling them at craft shows and mall kiosks across the country. At the same time, he was building up a farm, amassing horses, cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and guinea hens, with no previous farming knowledge, and making and selling violins. >>

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Inside Northside

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

In his lifetime, Kilgore has been a fine art photographer, a toy maker, a sign painter, returned to sea a few times, and started his own gourmet popcorn company.

Now more energetic at 69 than many men half his age, he’s trim and cleared-eyed and speaks with an indiscernible accent that belies his Georgia roots. He loves to talk, loves to tell stories, loves his wife, Marie, and loves his God. His 14,000-square-foot workshop is a short jog down a sleepy country road where he and Marie live in a house he built board by board.

Kilgore spends days scouring the woods and local sawmills “fishing” through the wood, then coaxing his creations out. He says, “I work with one mill in Mississippi that cuts only cypress.

They were burning the fared part at the bottom of the tree or chipping it for mulch. Now I climb through the piles looking for fish. When I find the pieces I want, I can already see the fish in there.

I bring the wood back here and rescue them with a chain saw. Then, I find out what they look like as I carve. The fish is already in there. He might be 9 feet long or might only be 2 feet. I have to let him out to know.” On his cell phone, Kilgore has over 3,000 pictures of fish, which help him keep his details accurate. And much to Marie’s chagrin, he keeps a

dried fish head on his workbench for the same reason.

Always looking for a new challenge, Kilgore’s latest self-education is in the art of Gyotaku fish printing. Gyotaku art, which dates back to the early 1800s in Japan, is created using an actual fish slathered with natural or artificial pigment and then pressed onto a sheet of rice paper. Kilgore explains, “Traditionally, Japanese fishermen wouldn’t keep a fish if it was over a certain size. They were superstitious about the big ones, so they released them. They wanted a way to record what they’d caught. Before photography, Gyotaku was a way to do that. The practice developed into this delicate and beautiful art form.” So far, Kilgore has printed a 3-foot red fish he bought at a Slidell fish market and a smaller blue gill caught by his daughter-in-law, adding touches like seaweed and a custom signature stamp in the traditional Gyotaku style.

“I’m learning Gyotaku by trial and error, like I’ve learned everything else,” says Kilgore. “At some point, I guess I need to stick to something.” After seven decades, that seems highly unlikely. In truth, he has only one fear: “My life is never going to be long enough for me to do all I have left to do.

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Generous Hearts

by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

What is Bikeshare?

Simply, a bikeshare system is a fun, healthy and convenient transit option.

It consists of a dense network of selfserve bicycles and designated racks that residents and visitors can pay to use, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

Bikesharing encourages people to drive less, support local business, improve street safety, increase personal health and enjoy the community and local events more than ever before.

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Inside Northside

Ride.

Return.

Repeat.

According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, bikeshare programs increase the visibility of cyclists, making riding safer for everyone. Studies also show that more people riding bikes in local areas leads to improved bicycling and walking infrastructure.

So Why St. Tammany?

Two reasons really. First, the overall objective of bikeshare is to connect

people, regardless of socio-economic status, to places and communities within our parish through a low-cost, highperforming alternative transportation system. It also has the bonus by-products of promoting tourism, improving health and wellness outcomes for residents and stimulating economic vitality.

The second and really obvious reason is that we have a national award-winning 31-mile bike path, the

photo courtesy: SOCIAL BICYLES NEW ORLEANS

IT IS OFTEN SAID in my line of work that thriving communities have thriving community foundations.

Think of any city or place with a reputation for success, a healthy population, a vibrant economy, abundant recreational opportunities and the overall expectation of a high quality of life. I will bet that community has a community foundation behind the scenes leveraging resources and harnessing passion to drive those outcomes for the greater good.

But there is a new element to thriving communities across the country—and the globe—and it seems to be the perfect illustration of all those good things. Bikeshares have been popping up in cities of all sizes since their introduction in 2010, with more than 150 in the United States alone. Our hope is that St. Tammany is next on that enviable list.

Tammany Trace, that connects the eastern and western sides of the parish with six trailheads along the way. That path equates to a high-quality biking “spine� that connects our unique communities, businesses, neighborhoods and parks that will serve as the backbone to a healthy bikeshare system.

Bikenomics Our parish is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the economic growth

and intellectual potential of the millennial generation. Our geographic position relating to the urban centers of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, coupled with our quality school system and vast recreational opportunities, make St. Tammany prime for growth in this demographic. In a Transportation for America Survey, more than half of millennials (54 percent) said they would consider moving to another city if it had more or better options for getting

around. Millennials want walkable and bikeable communities, and we want millennials. Communities that are not fully dependent on the private automobile are seeing more economic investment than traditional urban and suburban models.

As Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said, “Bike-friendly cities are the ones that are going to advance in this new economy. If we want to attract and retain the right kind of jobs and >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 49

entrepreneurs to our city, becoming more bikeable is critical.”

Way More Than Just a Boost to the Economy An obvious benefit of a bikeshare model is the health and wellness outcomes for the people who use them.

Take Birmingham, Alabama, as an example: According to the operators of the Zyp BikeShare system, who track their user data, the 400-bike system in the first 14-months of operation saw over 75,000 checkouts, more than 95,000 miles ridden and nearly 5 million calories burned, which is the equivalent of 25,641 donuts.

It’s no secret that Louisiana is neck and neck with Mississippi for the worst health outcomes in the country.

Any public or private investment in promoting exercise and teaching healthier lifestyles is money well spent for our future. If a bikeshare model can make a dent in our obesity, diabetes and heart disease statistics, your Northshore Community Foundation needs no further reason to invest. You had us at ‘hello.’

“New research finds that people who ride bikes actually spend more in local stores than people who drive.

Travelling by bike means noticing more around you. And even though people sometimes don’t spend as much on each trip (bikes have small baskets,) they shop more often, putting more dollars into the local economy. Businesses next to bike-share stations have also seen big boosts, thanks to a steady supply of potential customers,” notes New Orleans Bike Share.

How cool would that be?

Let’s just imagine it: A tourist visiting the Mandeville area for the day could grab a shared bike on the 50

Inside Northside

lakefront, ride the trace to Lacombe, rent a fishing kayak from a local small business, park the bike at the kiosk there and spend the day catching redfish at the mouth of Bayou Lacombe. They could ride the bike or Uber back to Mandeville, depending on the weight of the day’s catch.

A mom drives her kids to Pelican Park for practice on a school night.

While the kids are practicing and the car is parked, she grabs a bike and rides through the park and on the trace for an hour of exercise—but really, it’s for the 60 minutes of peace.

A young man who lives in Abita and wants to work but can’t afford a car gets offered a job at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. He can apply for a low- to no-cost membership, pick up a bike near his home and ride to work every day. When he is ready to leave, he simply picks up another bike and heads on home. Today, that same young man may not accept that job opportunity because there is no public transportation available to him. (And for the record, as badly as that young man may need the job, St. Tammany needs the worker just as much.)

Let’s talk about it All over the country, some version of the slogan ‘ride, return, repeat’ is becoming part of local dialogues. Bikeshare systems increase the number of riders and elevate the bike-riding profile of a community. We believe that it is good public service and good public policy. What that actually looks like, where it would be located and how it works is all part of the conversation yet to come. If you want to join us in that dialogue, please reach out to the Northshore Community Foundation today at northshorefoundation.org/bikeshare.

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Cat H(e)aven

photos courtesy: BIG SKY RANCH

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

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WHEN I DIE, I wanna come back as a cat and live at Big Sky Ranch in Folsom. Because those cats have got it goin’ on. I was initially dreading my visit there.

Too many memories of animal shelters where only the most basic needs are met. Not so at this ten-acre wooded sanctuary. The atmosphere is lovely; green and lush. And the kitty accommodations are 5-star.

As I was led around the ranch by longtime employee

other animals) are rescued, spayed or neutered, rehabilitated and placed for adoption through the ranch’s non-profit CATNIP Foundation. Or they’re given a sanctuary to live out their days there. A grouping of nine cats, for instance, came to the ranch when their elderly owner died. Some of them were adopted. But others, for varying reasons, will remain at Big Sky. Believe me when I say they’ll have a full,

Vanessa Brooks, not only did I hear the circumstance that brought each cat there but I learned their name, personality and endearing idiosyncrasies. These cats are loved. And they know it.

The areas that house the animals at Big Sky are tucked under a canopy of ancient hardwoods surrounded by old-growth camellias and azaleas, here a coy pond, there an urn of organic herbs. Cats live in “kitty cottages,” each with spacious indoor and outdoor areas where they lounge on hammocks, ramps and treehouses, gazing out with lethargic contentment, or skitter around those crazy, carpeted obstacle courses cats so love. And because owners Dr. Catherine Wilbert and Sharon Schluter clearly don’t know the meaning of the word “No” when it comes to an animal in need, Big Sky also has habitats for turkeys, ducks, geese, peacocks, doves, a few dogs and a population of 30 rabbits who’ve created an elaborate warren system for themselves within a circular center cage. A few bunnies even free-range outside the cage. Everybody has a name and a place on this ranch.

Depending on their circumstances, cats (and

rich life. One cat is there until her owner returns from overseas deployment. Another grouping came when their owner went to live in a retirement home that didn’t allow pets. And still others were rescued after last summer’s flooding.

Some of the cats were trapped by Wilbert and Schluter when homeowners called complaining about litters of feral cats on their land or in their neighborhood.

They trap them, spay or neuter them, provide any medical attention they need, then either return them or look for adoptive families. And some cats come to them before they’re scheduled to be euthanized at a shelter. Unh-unh—not on their watch. The day I was there, Wilbert and Schluter were scrambling to arrange safe passage out of the flooded areas of Texas for shelter animals so the shelters would be freed up to foster dogs and cats until they can be reunited with their owners. (Current Texas shelter animals were to be transported to no-kill shelters up north.) All in a day’s work for Big Sky Ranch and the CATNIP Foundation.

After our flood last August, they were about to rescue, foster and adopt out over 200 cats. They also >>

Big Sky Ranch and CATNIP Foundation

Dr. Catherine Wilbert.

Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 53

provided fans, tents, kennels and pet food for make-shift shelters throughout the flooded areas. “When a disaster like that occurs, you’re looking at a pet population that’s already too large,” says Wilbert. “The flooding only makes it worse. We can’t adopt our way out of this problem in Louisiana. There are just too many dogs and cats. In seven years, two cats who aren’t spayed or neutered can turn into two million. We’ve got to educate people about spaying and neutering. And we’ve got to change the laws, so that affordable—even free— spaying and neutering is available to everyone.” It’s a campaign Wilbert has been waging most of her life. For twenty years, she undertook animal rescue in her free time, until making it a full-time pursuit with Big Sky and CATNIP. Over the years, she’s served on the board of

• C are • A dvocacy and • T reatment of • N eglected and • I ndigent • P ets

That was the genesis for the 501(c)(3) CATNIP Foundation, which is funded through efforts on the 54

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>>

photos courtesy: BIG SKY RANCH

the St. Tammany Humane Society and the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary. “I lived in Algiers Point as a young woman and was horrified at the way nobody was spaying and neutering their cats,” says Wilbert. “I used to sneak around at night, catch cats, have them fixed, then sneak them back to the neighborhood. I was feeding 30 stray cats in my neighborhood. When I was 24, I came up with the acrostic:

The number of dogs and cats killed in shelters nationwide has been reduced to just over two million annually in 2016, from 17 million in 1984. It’s a start, but there’s

ranch and through private donations.

“Louisiana has the highest kill rate in the country,” says Wilbert. “I know people prefer the word ‘euthanize.’

But let’s be honest. These animals are being killed, and it’s happening every day. We’ve got to have affordable spaying and neutering, and we’ve got to educate people about why it’s so important to do it.”

Wilbert is working now to have laws in St. Tammany changed, with the 56

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ultimate goal of making St. Tammany a “no-kill” parish and eventually seeing Louisiana designated a “no-kill state” like Utah. “Our vision is no more shelters,” she says. “Collaboration is the key. We all need to ask ourselves, ‘How can we help the most animals together?’

We should have no agenda but, ‘What does it take to help animals?’”

Last year alone, Big Sky Ranch spayed or neutered between 400 and 500 cats, some of which they had to

photos courtesy: BIG SKY RANCH

still a long way to go.

take to New Orleans or Baton Rouge and then back again to find affordable services. Just last week, they trapped and fixed 39 cats from the Livingston Parish area, which is still recovering from last year’s historic flooding. It’s astounding to see how the wildest of feral cats can be tamed with the right amount of patience and love.

Everything that happens on the ranch is ultimately done to help the cats and other animals. With their emphasis on education, Wilbert and Schluter facilitate farm camps for adults and kids. They host family farm days and offer a unique venue for luncheons, corporate retreats and weddings. “Because we have the organic farm right here, we can offer a true farm-to-table experience.

And everything has an educational component,” says Wilbert, a doctor of naturopathic medicine. “We offer integrated wellness programs, Lunch and Learn events and wellness retreats for individuals, groups and corporations.” They also sell organic food in bulk and packaged prepared organic meals, natural animal feed and supplies, livestock and organic soaps and other handmade gifts. All proceeds go directly into the CATNIP Foundation to help the animals.

How can you be a part of their heroic efforts? Consider volunteering your time at Big Sky Ranch. There are all kinds of jobs to be done. Plan your next event there. Or perhaps your family is ready to adopt a cat, dog—or even a turkey. “We don’t adopt to just anyone,” says Wilbert. “We check references and never allow anyone to adopt the same day they select an animal.”

And you can always make a financial contribution to a very worthy cause at BigSkyRanch.org.

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Snippets of New Orleans

by Emma Fick

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COVINGTON NATIVE EMMA FICK, illustrator and author, will be at the Three Rivers Festival in Covington November 11-12 to showcase her latest work, Snippets of New Orleans, a 248-page book of color illustrations and text vignettes devoted to the people, places and food of New Orleans.

Emma’s illustrations in the book are done by hand in watercolor and pen. She says, “I spent a year working on this book full-time. It is my most earnest and honest reflection of New Orleans: triumphant and tragic, gaudy and gritty, elegant and ugly, rich and poor, a city that embodies all these and other polar opposites with a perverse kind of grace. My account is flawed and incomplete in the way all our experiences are flawed and incomplete: there are always vistas left to see, flavors left to try, stories left to hear; there are assumptions made, words misunderstood, histories distorted.”

This is Emma’s second book of illustrations. Her first, Snippets of Serbia, was published in June 2015 thanks to a grant funded by the U.S. Embassy in Serbia. It received national acclaim in Serbia and has been featured in international publications including Elle Serbia and Marie Claire Italy. She returned to New Orleans in October 2015 to begin working on Snippets of New Orleans.

Born and raised in Covington, Emma received her bachelor’s degree in English and art history from the University of Alabama, with plans to go into academia However, she moved to Serbia for two years. “I was inspired by the Byzantine icons—a motif that still finds its way into my work regularly—and, for the first time in my life, found I had the time to paint every day. I quickly realized this was how I

Inside Northside

photo: MILENA DJORDJEVIC

IN the Bookcase

wanted to spend the rest of my life, and I returned to the United States determined to establish an art career. I’ve been painting full-time ever since.”

Emma still spends a lot of time traveling. When she’s not in New Orleans, she can be found in some distant land. She took the Trans-Siberian railway from Beijing to Moscow, sketchbook in hand, gathering inspiration for a new work. What is the next Snippets location? She says on her website, “The wind is blowing toward Brazil.”

At the Three Rivers Festival in Covington November 11-12, Emma will also exhibit her watercolor paintings.

For more information, visit emmafick.com or email contact@emmafick.com. Follow her daily ventures on Instagram or Facebook.

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Advocates for the Arts

Collectors Tim and Jan Lantrip

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

by Linda Trappey Dautreuil “I HAVE A PARTICULAR FONDNESS for the work of Louis Morales and his painting, Bogue Falaya Park Looking Across the River. The paint is very rich in color and texture. I think his style is distinctive, even when he paints a subject that may have been painted many times by others. I like the specificity of knowing that this location, very near to me, inspired his process,” says Tim Lantrip.

“It is that specificity that is also present in the painting of the Covington Water Tower by Mitch Overby. I see that painting every day, and it may be responsible for my fascination with the idea of lighting the water tower at night for a different kind of appreciation of the historic structure.”

Tim is an experienced businessman who oversees operations of the English Tea Room and Eatery. His wife, Jan, is one of only five compounding pharmacists in Louisiana. They >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 61

are great storytellers—and attentive listeners. Each makes generous use of narrative traditions to illustrate, educate and advance advocacy for the cultural arts in partnership with local business and government.

Tim is a natural communicator.

He relishes bouncing ideas around in casual conversation, beginning with a story. “When the Eiffel Tower was proposed for the 1889 World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle) in France, there was concern expressed by the people of Paris about the unique character of the design. The tower appeared to some to be lacking harmonious qualities in keeping with the architecture of the day. Because of this resistance, Gustav Eiffel proposed a temporary structure that would come down after the World’s Fair ended. The response to this vision of the future was eventually so favorable that the Eiffel Tower stands as one of the most recognized landmarks in the world,” he says.

“We know Covington is not Paris, but we are not without our landmarks.

The most obvious is our old water tower. Many communities divested themselves of these when new water towers were built. Lighting the tower would highlight the structure and demonstrate our commitment to historic preservation.” As these light projects extend into public art, the community at night becomes an attraction in itself.

Jan shares a similar but individual commitment to the welfare of the community. Born and raised in South Louisiana, Jan is keenly aware of the importance of family. She speaks softly and with purpose as she quotes her mother’s advice to her daughters: “You 62

Inside Northside

photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

must have a boat to go forward, but remember, the boat needs a rudder.” Jan continues, “I learned about helping people from my mother’s example. She was a nurturing person. My father was larger than life. He and his seven brothers owned a family business that serviced large diesel engines for oil companies around the world. I was accustomed to being in a large extended family of men and my Dad was one who never met a stranger.”

Jan is adept at personalizing conversation; her particular skill is to describe actual events related to life-changing experiences. “When I was 22 years old with one year left in pharmacy school at what is now the University of Louisiana, Monroe, I was a passenger in a car involved in a horrific accident. I had severe burns, 13 surgeries and extensive therapy, which enabled me to walk again. The trauma was both physical and psychological. I realized that the person I was before the accident had died along with some of my friends. I asked myself big questions, ‘who am I now? Do I want to go on as the person I am now?’ My parents raised me with a passion for life long before the accident. That love of living was the lifeline I grasped. I remember thinking I had things to do. The closeness of my family and the spiritual

dimension wrapped up into family life in South Louisiana helped me to persevere.”

It is not only inner strength and wisdom that comes to light in conversation with Jan, but also a desire to help others. The example set by her mother

>>

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photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

and a keen interest in science led her to her degree in pharmacy. She worked for years in the same pharmacy in Hammond until the death of her mentor and friend. Today, Jan works as pharmacist 12 hours a day, three days a week. Other days are devoted to the English Tea Room and her passion for the universal appeal of tea in all cultures.

An important, and sometimes overlooked,

ingredient in the creation of a vibrant culture is one the Lantrips live with every day. They are collectors and patrons of the community of visual artists and arts organizations in Southeast Louisiana, with a special emphasis on St. Tammany Parish. Their collection is displayed throughout their home in the tradition of collectors who not only love the objects they collect but also develop relationships with the artists who make them.

Tim says that growing up, he did not focus much on the arts. He makes the point that sometimes people hesitate to purchase art because they are not very sure they understand enough about it. “My first notion as a young person was that art must be the Elvis paintings on velvet I saw on the side of the road.

It was not until I moved to the Houma-Thibodaux area and attended Nichols State University that I experienced my first glimpse of the great big world of art making. As part of the core curriculum, art appreciation was one of my required classes. “It was not long before I discovered that I liked Greek urns, and then, the Impressionists, and on and on. Even now it fascinates me to look at the image of The Cotton Exchange painted by Degas during his

time in New Orleans. As my interest in all kinds of art grew, I expanded my search for information about the artists themselves, the process, the influences of time and place. I regularly attended art exhibitions, visited galleries, went to auctions and now I also research online.”

Tim’s first acquisitions began before the internet was fully available to the extent it is today. His interest then was in early European art. Research took much longer, and though he enjoyed the process, there was a certain distance that was erased when he met Louisiana artist Bill Hemmerling. “Bill was an artist who was very comfortable in speaking about his process and the importance of art to any community, no matter how small the community might be. His comments influenced my decision to be attentive to artists within the community. When we moved to Covington, I was truly amazed at the number of artists seriously working in studios and on site.”

In collecting, serendipity is part of the fun. “You have to be willing to make some missteps, but also embrace the surprising moments when you stumble onto a treasure. I once purchased a Jackson Pollack drawing at a country sale that was discovered in the wall of an old house. No one really knew who Jackson Pollack was. I liked the drawing, but I had no idea it was authentic at the time.” Another time, Tim noticed a particularly interesting frame he thought he could surely use. “Later, I discovered that the George Washington print in the frame was part of a very small print edition, definitely more valuable than the frame.” Occasions such as these amuse him, adding to his enjoyment of the journey.

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IN Rhythm

Jess Kerber Singer-Songwriter

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OUR PHOTOGRAPHER AND I are walking down Thomas Street in downtown Hammond to meet singer-songwriter Jess Kerber. She greets us with the biggest smile as she lugs her guitar case by her side.

Her gentle, yet eager, demeanor easily conveys the words and sounds she’s able to create. As a soon-tobe-18-year-old high school senior, Jess has her path in music already figured out.

Jess began singing and writing songs when she was 8 years old. “I remember sitting down and writing these songs while pretending to know what love was,” she laughs. “But I truly became serious about guitar at 13, and by 15, I began writing these very complete songs.” Her musical ability comes naturally. Her mom, once a vocalist, and her dad, Patrick Kerber, is a guitar instructor for the Department of Fine and Dramatic Arts at Southeastern. “My dad kind of set me on this path of music, encouraging me to follow it.”

Her maternal grandparents, Don and the late Barbara Bernard, were also active in music. The two were in the New Orleans vocal scene for decades performing comprimaria/comprimario roles for the New Orleans Opera and also starring roles in Tulane

Inside Northside

Summer Lyric, Le Petit Théâtre and more.

As for Jess, her first performance was in the 7th grade for a district Beta Convention. “I had never sung in front of anyone, so I performed for my parents the night before the audition. I was entered into the special talent competition, and it just went from there.”

Zakkary Garner, Jess’ Gifted and Talented Music Instructor at Hammond Magnet High, says: “Jessica is an incredibly talented young songwriter and works diligently to develop her craft. She has a unique sound and a sense of maturity and professionalism that immediately separates her from her peers. Jess has been an excellent student, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her!”

Jess spent five weeks this summer at the Berklee College of Music in Boston for a performance program. She says, “It was the best summer of my life.

The first week I was very homesick, so I kept calling my mom and friends, but after that week, I began to realize I was around other people my age that were just as serious about music. It was amazing.”

While there, Jess auditioned for scholarships and to be in the Singer-Songwriter Showcase, for

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

by Leah Draffen

which 180 singer-songwriters auditioned. After two rounds of callbacks, Jess made it into the Top 10. She played her original What You Need. “I was so honored to play in the beautiful Berklee Performance Center with a senior Berklee band.

“To get to this program, I knew I had to save up. I found out about it in my 8th grade year, and from then I saved up my gig money, birthday money, whatever fortunes I was given in order to go. What I got out of it, I could never pay back.”

Through the program and showcase, Jess earned a substantial scholarship to go to Berklee next fall. She plans to major in songwriting with a minor in music production. “My ultimate goal is to become a professional musician. That’s what I do, and I don’t really have a choice,” she says.

It’s very clear that she’s already well on her way to being the next Joni Mitchell or Norah Jones. In fact, much of her musical inspiration comes from them and others such as Dave Matthews and John Mayer.

Now that you have the soothing voices of Joni, Norah and John in your head, you can easily imagine Jess’. Her sound is soft pop folk, telling stories with her lyrics. “I admire the poetic songwriters like Bob Dylan and Joni. They are some of my biggest inspirations when it comes to writing.”

Her songs have much more depth than you would imagine for a young adult. They’re impactful. She says that her writing comes organically. “I pretty much write as it comes out. I don’t really sit down and have a song to write. Most of my songs are from me sitting on my bed, saying, ‘hey, what about this?’”

Her originals and covers have repeatedly hit stages at the Three Rivers Art Festival, Sunset at the Landing, The Ghost Light at the Columbia Theater and The Louisiana Guitar Show.

She also performs weekly at Brady’s Restaurant in Hammond.

This year she will be at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on November 12, and the front porch at the Abita Opry on November 18.

When asked if she gets nervous on stage, it’s a confident no. “I don’t really get nervous anymore. If I do, it’s more about the environment and not my singing—I practice so I can be good enough to play. It comes so easy because it’s what I love,” says Jess. “It’s who I am.”

And just like that we know Jess is going accomplish whatever she sets her mind to.

Hear Jess’ soulful sound at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on November 12, and the front porch at the Abita Opry on November 18. You can watch her Singer-Songwriter Showcase performance (What You Need – Jess Kerber @ Berklee Performance Center) on her YouTube page, Jessica Kerber.

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Flourishes

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1. Handcrafted gold and clear crystal

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Valkyrie chandelier made of metal and crystal. American Factory Direct, Covington, 871-0300. 2. Hand-knotted rug with a fresh color palette and design nuances, multiple sizes. Greige Home Interiors, Covington, 875-7576. 3. 14” handmade abstract ceramic bowl, $130.

Fur.Nish, Metairie, 504-702-8514.

4. Memoirs freestanding bath with center

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toe tap by Kohler. Southland Plumbing Supply, Mandeville, 893-8883. 5. Seasonal arrangements starting at $65. Florist of Covington, 892-7701. 6. Kiss Me in the Garden Kiss Collection featuring hints of grapefruit, orange and clove vanilla; bubble

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bath, $24; body lotion, $24; shower gel, $18. Oasis Day Spa, Mandeville, 624-6772. 7. Natural alabaster-handled server, 22” x 10”, $375. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522.

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Flourishes 2

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1. Indoor/outdoor rug, $21.98. Braswell Drugs, Covington, 892-0818.

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2. Maison Lantern, 41”H x 22”W x 22”D, $1,199. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045. 3. Art deco Ananas Grey modern table lamp by Ro Sham Beaux. Powder coat grey base with brass leaves and natural shade. Pine Grove Electrical Supply, Mandeville, 893-4003. 4. Glitter Pink 7

Cat Headphones with volume control and microphone; available in other colors, $35. Olive Patch, Covington, 327-5772. 5. Rock crystal crosses, 15.5” H x 11” W, $350; 23”H x 13” W, $450. Beth Claybourn Interiors, 504-342-2630. 6. 18” x 18” burlap lined bag that can be customized with logo, art and/or name.

Backyard Printing, Mandeville, 231-7789.

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7. Cement tiles from Crescent Collection. Triton Stone, Mandeville, 951-2360, tritonstone.com. 8. ibright Smartphone Whitening systems with 16 powerful LED light plugs straight into any iPhone, Android or USB; no batteries necessary, $99. Private Beach, Mandeville, 674-2326.

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Flourishes 1 2

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1. Six-light chandelier with French pine-colored wooden beads and metal frame finished in a grey-washed, soft-textured gold, $599.

Southern Farmhouse & Furniture, Clayton House Marketplace, Covington, 718-9249.

2. In All Things Give Thanks rectangular embroidered linen pillow, $23.95. DeLuca’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts, Covington, 8922317. 3. 6’ x 9’ hand-knotted Oushak rug.

Rug Chic, Mandeville, 674-1070. 4. Vases of different sizes and shapes starting at $34.

History Antiques & Interiors, Covington, 8920010. 5. Gold crown holders for stockings or wreaths, $30. mélange by kp, Mandeville,

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807-7652. 6. FULL OF CHEER Metallic Red wine glass, $19 each. deCoeur Gifts & Home Accessories, Covington, 809-3244.

7. AKDO Sublime Bouquet mosaic.

Exclusively at Stafford Tile & Stone, New

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Orleans, 504-895-5000 or staffordtile.com.

8. St. Francis Statue, 36.5”. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008.

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INside Look 1

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Navy & Spruce 1. Grey suede and Austrian crystal necklace with South Sea pearls by Mela-Italy. Ronen Chen navy top and wide-leg pant out of Israel. Ballin’s LTD, Covington, 892-0025.

2. Velvet mock-neck swing dress, $252.

The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797.

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3. Boudreaux’s Louisiana Collection pavé diamond pendant in white gold, $595.

Boudreaux’s Jewelers, Mandeville, 6261666. 4. Stripe wrap dress with ruffle sleeve, $56. Suella, Covington, 276-9775. 5. Shu Uemura Ultimate Remedy for ultra-damaged hair. H2O Salon, Mandeville, 951-8166.

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INside Look

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Navy & Spruce 1. 14kt gold pendant with 10ct tw London blue topaz surrounded with .17 ct tw diamonds and chocolate diamonds on bale, $695. DeLuca’s Fine Jewelers, Covington, 892-2317. 2. Colby Tunic Dress with sheer sleeves and beaded neckline in true navy, crinkle-clip silk jacquard, $298. Palm Village-A Lilly Pulitzer Store, Mandeville, 778-2547. 3. Deep blue cashmere poncho, one size, $94; assorted colors. CDN clothing, Covington, 327-7300. 4. Lollia by Margot Elena products in Wonder scent, starting at $15.95. Earthsavers, Mandeville, 674-1133. 5. 18k white gold and black rhodium bracelet featuring blue sapphires and round diamonds. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 6. Navy lace cold-shoulder dress, $66. POSH Boutique, Covington, 898-2639.

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INside Look 2

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Navy & Spruce 1. Long V-neck beaded gown with diamond pattern on the skirt. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789; 8091690. 2. Jamie Stud earrings by Loren Hope Jewelry made with Swarovski crystals and antiqued rose gold finish. Also available in gold and silver, $58. Cameo Boutique, Mandeville, 231-1332. 3. St. Benedict silk double-knotted necklace, $29. ShoefflĂŠ, Covington, 898-6465. 4. Floral velvet burnout racerback cami, $78; buckle side skirt in matte green with a side tie and gold metallic accent, $56. Paisley, Mandeville, 727-7880.

5. Classic plaid LIKELY Talcott top with front 5

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tie detail and layered bell cuff sleeves. Bliss Clothing & Home, Mandeville, 778-2252.

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INside Look 2 3 1

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Navy & Spruce 1. 1.50ct sapphire oval ring accented by .60 trilogy diamonds set in 14kt white gold. Thomas Franks Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-5098. 2. Traveler

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suit, $349; Traveler shirt, $44.50; Joseph Abboud shoes, $125. Jos. A. Bank, Mandeville, 626-4067.

3. Irene Luft dress with 3/4 sleeves and a full skirt in navy cotton eyelash fabric, $1,180. SOSUSU Boutique, New Orleans, 504-309-5026. 4. Sarah

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Louise navy coat and hat set, available in 2T-6X, $150. Baby & Me, Mandeville, 626-0267.

5. Bishop + Young velvet cami, $58; Olivaceous black mini skirt, $42; long gold chain necklace with circle and black tassel detail, $32. The Lifestyle Store at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0200. 6. Ippolita Wonderland Merino Earrings, $795. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000.

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LSU faculty and students critical in this groundbreaking discovery.

National Science Foundation Director Dr. France Cordova with Gabriela González at the LIGO Livingston observatory.

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THE 2017 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS was awarded to the pioneering leaders of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, for the first detection of gravitational waves. The detection confirmed a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.

Einstein predicted more than 100 years ago that gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of spacetime, would arrive at Earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. The gravitational waves from two black holes colliding over a billion light years away were detected on September 14, 2015, at 4:51 a.m. CST by the twin LIGO detectors, located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington.

The LIGO observatories are funded by the National Science Foundation, or NSF. LSU Adjunct Professor and MIT Professor Emeritus Rainer Weiss and California Institute of Technology professor emeriti Kip Thorne and Barry Barish have been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics. Onehalf of the prize was awarded to Weiss, and the other half is shared by Thorne and Barish. Weiss and Thorne

Inside Northside

are co-founders of the LIGO/VIRGO Collaboration.

Barish led the final design stage, construction and commissioning of the LIGO interferometers.

The LIGO Livingston observatory is located on LSU property, and LSU faculty, students and research staff are major contributors to the international LIGO Scientific Collaboration, or LSC. Gabriela González, LSU professor of physics and astronomy, is the former elected spokesperson who led the LSC during the initial detection. Together with other leaders and founders of the LIGO effort, González made the official statements about the historic detection on Thursday, February 11, 2016, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., before gathered national science press.

“It was an honor to be the LSC spokesperson during the momentous time of discovery,” González said. “We are thrilled for Rai, Kip and Barry to be named Nobel Laureates and are proud of the work done by the many people over many decades in the LSC to support and continue their vision.”

LSU’s investment in gravitational-wave detection spans more than four decades, and is among the longest of the institutions contributing to the present discovery. LSU faculty, students and scholars have had leading roles in the development of several generations of gravitational wave detectors, in their commissioning and operation as well as the

photo courtesy: LSU

LIGO Gravitational Wave Detection Wins Nobel Prize

collaborations formed. Today’s recognition in the Nobel Prize in Physics is in part an outcome of LSU’s long-term vision and commitment to high-risk, highpotential gain scientific research.

More than 1,000 scientists from universities around the United States and other countries conduct LIGO research as members of the LSC. More than 90 universities and research institutes in the LSC develop detector technology and analyze data; about 250 students are strong contributing members of the collaboration.

LSU’s pioneering role in this science began in 1970 with the arrival of William Hamilton, now professor emeritus, who along with Physics Professor Warren Johnson, built and operated previousgeneration cryogenic bar gravitational wave detectors on campus for many years. Now, LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Associate Professor Thomas Corbitt focuses his research on advanced quantum metrology techniques for a future detector. This represents more than 45 years of cutting-edge research, with state and institutional commitment, and long-standing multimillion dollar support from NSF producing educational opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers, several of whom have gone on to professorial appointments around the world.

LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge is located 25 miles from LIGO Livingston. LSU has about 1,400 faculty and 31,000 students; it is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as “Doctoral/Research UniversitiesExtensive.” LSU is the only research university in the country located close enough for students and faculty to engage in daily interactions with a LIGO observatory. LSU faculty and administrators, including Chancellor Emeritus James Wharton, led the effort to bring LIGO to Louisiana, and the university owns the land on which LIGO is operated.

“This is an exciting time for LSU and the College of Science. As scientists, we are in constant pursuit of more knowledge and understanding of our place in the universe. This discovery, 100 years in the making, is a leap forward in this pursuit,” said Cynthia Peterson, dean of the LSU College of Science and Seaola Arnaud and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor. “LIGO’s history-making work has given us new insight into our universe. We salute the LSU scientists who contributed to this discovery and all of the members of the LIGO scientific collaboration.”

The awarding of the Nobel Prize for the detection of gravitational waves represents an important endorsement of the sophisticated LIGO research initiatives led by the Nobel Laureates, and the new field of gravitational-wave astronomy. This is also a great recognition of all the contributors, which include LSU faculty, students and alumni.

This is the third year scientists from the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy have been among the scientific research teams involved with the Nobel Prize in Physics.

In 2011, the Nobel Prize in Physics went to Saul Perlmutter for the observation of distant supernovas, with LSU Alumni Professor Bradley Schaefer as one of the workers and co-authors on the prize-winning paper. The key discovery was that these exploding stars, called type Ia supernovas, appear to be fainter than expected. This implies that the stars are farther away than previously thought, and that the expansion of the universe must be accelerating, not slowing down. This work also earned Schaefer a share of the 2007 Gruber Prize for Cosmology and a share of the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

In 2015, LSU Professor of Physics Thomas Kutter and his group of postdoctoral researchers were members of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, or SNO Collaboration, led by Nobel Prize recipient Arthur McDonald of Queens University in Canada, which made the key measurements by observing neutrinos from the sun. The Nobel Prize was awarded for the fundamental discovery of neutrino oscillations and properties.

The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden.

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Healthy Holiday Eating

WITH THE HOLIDAYS APPROACHING, it’s time to start looking at heart-healthy approaches to holiday dinners.

Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition professor at Penn State University and volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee, said the first tip she would give is to “think health.” “At Thanksgiving,” she said. “If you are preparing food for your loved ones, be loving.”

One pitfall that comes with the holidays is the tendency to overeat. Kris-Etherton said that is “pretty standard” as holiday festivities usually center around food. To counter this, she suggested encouraging people to control their intake. But that is easier said than done.

First, be aware, she said. People should take into account what they would ordinarily eat before the holidays. What would the typical dinner plate look like year-round? A holiday plate should not look any different.

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So, what exactly should a properly filled dinner plate look like? Let’s first break it into three groups.

Fruit and vegetables Kris-Etherton said about half of the plate should be dedicated to fruits and vegetables. In terms of serving size, men and women should consume about four and a half cups of fruit and vegetables collectively a day. Assuming that daily amount is broken evenly by meal, that should leave one and a half cups of fruit and vegetables served collectively at dinnertime.

Starchy food About a quarter of the plate should be dedicated to starchy food, Kris-Etherton said. That would be foods like mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, stuffing and breads. Kris-Etherton said she suggests using cauliflower, parsnip and celery root as ingredients in this category to add a little pizazz to traditional >>

How often do you cross your legs when you sneeze or cough? Is it hard to run after your kids or grandkids without leaking urine? With the passage of time or after the birth of a baby, incontinence can become an embarrassing and frustrating part of daily life for women. Dr. Katherine Williams is pleased to offer the groundbreaking ThermiVa as a treatment for urinary incontinence, helping women regain what time or childbirth has taken away.

ThermiVa is a non-surgical procedure that uses temperature-controlled radiofrequency to generate the body’s own collagen production, healing the vaginal tissue and tightening the labial tissue to reduce a noticeable sag.

A gentle wand is used both in the vagina and externally around the vulva and clitoral area. Women who are suffering from incontinence, vaginal dryness, loss of vaginal elasticity, or a decreased response to sexual stimuli are seeking out ThermiVa treatments in record numbers to address their needs.

The results speak for themselves! Our patients report that they rarely need to wear panty liners any longer.

We also hear from women who didn’t feel feminine for years that ThermiVa gave them back moisture and sensitivity in the vaginal area.

As an added benefit, patients are having more intense orgasms and seeing their relationships improving, drawing closer to their partners as the intimacy improves.

Patients should expect their results to last for approximately one year. But with pelvic floor exercises and physical therapy, the results can last even longer. Without pelvic floor exercises, touch ups are recommended yearly to maintain the rejuvenating results of ThermiVa. ThermiVa is an appealing alternative to life-long expensive medications or risky surgeries to correct the same problems.

ThermiVa treatments are performed in Dr. Williams’ office in Covington. Dr. Williams is a board certified OBGYN and an expert in women’s sexual health; therefore, she can best optimize the treatment plan for the patient. The treatments occur monthly over a three-month period and take about 30 minutes each.

Patients should expect to see an improvement in symptoms after each treatment and can resume sexual activity immediately!

dishes. So, instead of making traditional mashed potatoes, she said to mix mashed cauliflower with the potatoes or use them as a stand-alone dish. “It’s a great way to cut calories,” she said.

Lean protein About a quarter of the plate should be dedicated to lean protein. If it’s Thanksgiving, that protein is likely to be turkey. Because a serving size of meat is 3 ounces, the cut of turkey should be about the size of a deck of cards. For those looking to cut calories and excess fat in this category, they can aim for the lighter colored cuts of meat, such as the breast, and cut away any turkey skin, according to the AHA’s Holiday Healthy Eating Guide.

What about dessert?

Desserts aren’t included in the plate diagram, and they can be a pitfall, as people often sample their way through multiple servings. Instead, take a small amount of only one dessert, KrisEtherton said. Another key is to pick wisely. Compared to apple pie, which has a double crust, Kris-Etherton said pumpkin pie is a healthier alternative.

It is lower in calories and can be made healthier by replacing heavy cream with low-fat or fat-free milk in the pumpkin custard base.

For those who have Thanksgiving staples that are part of family tradition, there are ways to use healthier ingredients, and they probably won’t even notice the difference. “It’s going to be ok,” KrisEtherton said. One of the healthiest ways to celebrate the holidays is to not make it all about the meals. “Make food be secondary,” Kris-Etherton said. “Appreciate who you are with … give thanks for what you have.”

Beyond the Holidays But why not take a healthier approach to what we eat during this 86

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>>

holiday season and beyond?

According to a recent website survey, about 18 percent of people say it’s hard for them to eat healthy because they don’t want to stop eating their favorite foods. The good news is you don’t have to. You can still enjoy your favorite occasional indulgences, but in moderation. It’s all about being mindful of what you eat.

Mindless Eating Mindless eating is consuming food just because it’s there. It’s eating while distracted—watching TV, working at a computer or texting on our smartphones. It’s eating for emotional comfort instead of for hunger. Simply put, it’s not paying attention to what we eat, which can lead to being overweight and even obesity.

“Mindless eating has always been an issue,” said Riska Platt, M.S., a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. “The key to mindful eating is awareness. Just by paying more attention to what you eat, you’re more likely to make beneficial changes.”

Awareness When you pay attention to what you’re eating, you can make small changes that make a big difference. Here are some tips toward a more mindful approach: • Control portions. Especially during the holidays, know that you’ll have more opportunities to eat festive snacks and desserts. You don’t have to deprive yourself; just eat smaller portions and less often.

• Eat when you’re hungry. Just because the clock says noon doesn’t

>>

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mean you have to eat. If you’re not hungry, wait until you are—just don’t wait until you’re famished, because you might overeat. Also, don’t eat just because the food is available. Learn more about why you might be eating when not hungry.

• Plan. Prepare healthy snacks throughout the day. If you tend to get hungry between meals, bring along a 200-calorie, whole-grain, high-fiber snack. Fiber keeps you feeling full longer. Learn how a little planning helps your heart and your budget.

• Slow down. Enjoy each bite and put your fork down while chewing, then take a drink between bites. This gives your body enough time to trigger your brain that you are satisfied (not necessarily full).

• Pay attention. Do not eat in front of the TV or computer, or while standing in the kitchen or talking on the phone. When you do these things, you’re more likely to lose track of how much you’ve eaten.

• Use technology. As we continue to become increasingly distracted by modern technology, our focus on health can fall to the back burner. But it doesn’t have to be that way. “We can actually use our smartphones and other electronic devices to help us,” said Platt, a volunteer with the American Heart Association. “There are now apps that manage food records, count calories, help you track what you eat and even provide guidance on healthy food choices at the grocery store and restaurants.”

Article supplied by the American Heart Association News.

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E X C E P T I O N A L

P R O P E R T I E S

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ON NOVEMBER 5, local “celebrity” cooks will partner with local restaurants to prepare tastings of their favorite dishes in a competitive cook-off. The goal is to win People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice, but more importantly, the Most Money Raised for Children’s Advocacy Center Hope House award. Last year, Senator Jack Donahue and Zea took home first place in Judge’s Choice and third in Most Money Raised. He says: “I wanted to defend our title!

It’s a fun day to get to help the Hope House.”

Winners are chosen with tip tickets being awarded to your favorite cook and restaurant team. Tip tickets can be purchased online or by texting MWC to 71777. Cook Monty Fontenot, who is partnering with Catering by Don, says: “Men Who Cook is a chance to give back to our kids, families and community to meet their needs.”

Held on the top level of the Justice Center Parking Garage, this year’s event will include music by Four Unplugged and dessert provided by two local high school culinary arts teams. Raffle items offer an ATV from Honda of Covington and other fabulous prizes. Cook Frank Jabbia, who is partnering with NOLA Southern Grill, adds: “Raising funds for Hope House and the community is something I enjoy. I look forward to seeing and meeting a lot of wonderful people.”

For event tickets and more information, visit cachopehouse.org. To purchase tip tickets, text MWC to 71777.

In the following pages, learn a bit about some of this year’s celebrity cooks.

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Restaurant partner: Pepe’s Mexican Kitchen by Pardos.

Planned dish: Whole suckling pig.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Oyster dressing.

What does Men Who Cook mean to you? It’s great fun while raising money for a super cause—Hope House!

Randy Ponthieux

Restaurant partner: Myself with Mark Johnson.

Planned dish: Chicken and sausage gumbo with potato salad for the real Cajuns and rice for regular people.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Leftover turkey gumbo.

What does Men Who Cook mean to

you? What a great opportunity to help Hope House in aiding the most precious residents of our community, our children.

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

Men Who Cook 2017

Rick Smith

Douglas M. Ferrer Restaurant partner:

Christwood Retirement Community.

Planned dish: You’ll see.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Pecan pie.

What does Men Who Cook mean to you? It’s a great

Paul Myers

Restaurant partner: Lola.

Planned dish: It’s a secret.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Horseradish green beans.

community event doing

What does Men Who Cook mean to you? It’s a way to

outstanding work.

give back and support the children of our community.

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About the Hope House The Children’s Advocacy Center Hope House, an independent, non-profit organization, is dedicated to ending the cycle of child abuse in our communities of St. Tammany and Washington parishes. Providing a path to recovery and a bridge to justice for victims of child abuse, Hope House models, promotes and delivers excellence in child abuse response and prevention through forensic interviewing, specialized counseling, family advocacy, and outreach.

Since inception in 1995, over 4,000 children have been given the opportunity to safely talk about their traumatic abuse experience to our specially trained forensic interviewers. The CAC is the only agency to provide this crucial service. In 2016, through the support of the community and events such as Men Who Cook, the CAC Hope House was able to: • Facilitate 285 forensic interviews for children ages 3 to 17 when allegations of abuse or neglect were involved • Provide over 1,200 counseling sessions for abused children and their non-offending caregivers • Train over 250 adults in our community using the Stewards of Children program to protect children from child sexual abuse Hope House depends on donations to continue providing critical services that protect our most vulnerable citizens—our children. For more information on how to get involved, visit cachopehouse.org.

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Mark Johnson

Bryan Huval

Bubby Brister

Cody Guttierrez

Randy Ponthieux

Tchefuncta Country Club.

Meribo.

Tchefuncta Country Club.

sponsored by Heritage

Planned dish:

Planned dish:

Planned dish: Hopitoulas

Bank.

Hopitoulas Beef Short

Meatballs.

Beef Short Ribs with Fennel

Planned dish: Gumbo.

Ribs with Fennel Leek

Favorite Thanksgiving

Leek Purée, Fried Fennel

Restaurant partner:

Favorite Thanksgiving

Restaurant partner:

Restaurant partner:

Purée, Fried Fennel

dish: Cornbread

Fronds and Micro Salad.

dressing (like my mom’s)

What does Men Who

Favorite Thanksgiving

Favorite Thanksgiving dish:

with giblet gravy.

Dinner rolls.

dish: Prime rib.

What does Men Who

What does Men Who

community, but none

Cook mean to you? I’m

Cook mean to you? I’m

What does Men Who Cook

many great causes in our

happy to be a part of any

opportunity to get out in the

more important than the

helping an extremely

charity raising money for

community to support the CAC

role the CAC plays.

worthy cause.

abused children.

Hope House.

dish: Oyster dressing.

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

Restaurant partner:

Cook mean to you? So

Fronds and Micro Salad.

mean to you? It’s a great

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Don Dubuc

Restaurant.

Planned dish: Smoked Stuffed Pepper Jack Cheese Chicken Bites.

Restaurant partner: DiCristina’s Italian and Seafood Planned dish: Seafood dressing with sauce.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Dressing.

What does Men Who Cook mean to you? “Good

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Restaurant partner: Bergeron’s Boudin and Cajun Meats(Netchex).

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Stuffed Wild Duck in Gravy.

What does Men Who Cook mean to you? Participating in Men Who Cook gives me the opportunity to prove to all the women in

fun and great event for a great cause—I have been to

my life that men really are the best cooks while helping the youth

all of the Men Who Cook events.”

in our community at the same time.

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

Sheriff Randy Smith

Patrick McMath

Restaurant partner: Luke/ Pigeon and Prince Catering—Besh Restaurant Group.

Planned dish: Local Rabbit Sauce Piquant with Garganelli Pasta, Roasted Mushrooms and Sage.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish: Oyster dressing (mom’s).

What does Men Who Cook mean to you? As a former

assistant district attorney, I saw firsthand the enormous benefits Hope House provides the young victims of child abuse. Our community is fortunate to have such a wonderful organization. It’s an honor to serve them.

Other cooks for this year’s event who aren’t pictured include: Kevin Cavaretta, Jack Donahue, Monty Fontenot, Frank Jabbia, Tim Lentz, Clay Madden, Warren Montgomery, Chav Pierce, Dwayne Stein and Charlie Thomason.

Thank you to Jim and Connie Seitz for allowing us photograph in their beautiful home and to Kimberly Everett and Kellie Osbon of K2Realty at their stunning River Club listing.

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Together Bringing You More McNeely Mack Lifestyle Properties

by Becky Slatten

Calling it an opportunity to better serve their clients, Alice McNeely and Stevie and Bob Mack have joined forces to create the new McNeely Mack Lifestyle Properties. With over 75 years of combined experience and 50 million in combined sales last year, McNeely Mack looks to offer new and existing clients superior coverage throughout every step of their real estate transactions.

“It’s a good fit,” says McNeely. “Both of our teams specialize in the high-end, luxury home market, and we share similar business practices and philosophies. We’re also both top producers in our similar market.” McNeely, a 30-year resident of the northshore, has 10 years’ experience and brings team members Rebecca Hammett and Marissa Discon with her to the merger.

Stevie Mack, a lifelong resident, has been selling real estate on the northshore for 35 years; she was joined by her husband, Bob, 10 years ago.

Their associates, Charlotte Bordelon and Nick Jones, are also joining the new team. “This merging of teams will give us the talents, skills and resources to continue to be successful in the future,” says Mack. “I’ve known Alice forever, and we have a very comfortable level of trust. We share the same experiences and successes in our business—it just makes sense.”

In this highly competitive real estate market, the McNeely Mack team seeks to set itself apart by upping their game, especially regarding customer service, “We want our clients to have superior coverage; by offering unparalleled availability and accountability, our goal is to create a seamless experience for our buyers and sellers,” says McNeely. Another exciting aspect of the merger is the ability to give more attention to new buyers as well as adding additional coverage of the New Orleans market. Hammett, Discon and Jones have all expanded their client bases to include first-time buyers on both the north and south shores. “We love being part of the first-time buyer’s experience.” says Hammett. “We’re proud that our new buyers receive the same expert service as our loyal, experienced clients. We want our new homeowners to be our customers for life.” And with the additional manpower on the McNeely Mack team, both parties are interested in exploring the commercial market as well. “The possibilities are endless,” says McNeely. “And we intend to bring our expertise to every transaction.”

“We’ll be even stronger together,” says Mack.

For more information visit alicemcneely.com.

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THE SEA-DWELLER IS REVISITED for its 50th anniversary in a bolder 43 mm case.

Rolex is introducing the latest generation of its Oyster

Equipped with calibre 3235, which a new-generation movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex, this self-winding mechanical movement is at the forefront of the

Perpetual Sea-Dweller, a legend among professional divers’ watches

art of watchmaking. A consummate demonstration of Rolex

created 50 years ago in 1967. The new Sea-Dweller features a

technology, with 14 patents, it offers fundamental gains in terms of

larger, 43 mm case and the new calibre 3235, at the forefront of

precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetic fields,

watchmaking technology and employed for the first time in a Rolex

convenience and reliability. It incorporates the new Chronergy

Professional category watch. To enhance the reading of the date, it is

escapement patented by Rolex, which combines high-energy

equipped, also for the first time, with a Cyclops lens on the crystal at

efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, it

3 o’clock. The dial bears the name Sea-Dweller in red, a reference to

is also insensitive to magnetic interference.

the first model. Like all Rolex watches, the new Sea-Dweller carries

An optimized blue Parachrom hairspring is fitted to the

the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015

oscillator, the true heart of the watch. Patented and manufactured

to ensure singular performance on the wrist.

by Rolex in an exclusive paramagnetic alloy, it is up to 10 times

A technical divers’ watch, waterproof today to a depth of

more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks.

1,220 metres (4,000 feet), the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller was

A Rolex overcoil ensures its regularity in any position. Calibre

originally designed for the pioneers of professional deep-sea

3235 is equipped with a self-winding module via a Perpetual

diving. It is equipped with one of the inventions that contributed

rotor. Thanks to its new barrel architecture and the escapement’s

to its stature: the helium escape valve, patented by Rolex in 1967.

superior efficiency, the power reserve of calibre 3235 extends to

While preserving the waterproofness of the watch, this ingenious

approximately 70 hours.

safety valve regulates the pressure accumulated in the case during

The new solid-link Oyster bracelet in 904L steel is fitted with

the decompression phases of deep-water saturation dives. The

an Oysterlock safety clasp that prevents accidental opening. A

60-minute graduated, unidirectional rotatable bezel of the new

double extension system allows adjustments to be made without

Sea-Dweller enables divers to precisely and safely monitor their

the use of tools, so that the watch can be worn comfortably over a

dive and decompression times. It is equipped with a patented

diving suit up to 7 mm thick. The Fliplock extension link extends

black Cerachrom bezel insert manufactured by Rolex in a virtually

the bracelet by 26 mm, while the Rolex Glidelock system allows

scratchproof ceramic whose colour is unaffected by ultraviolet rays.

fine adjustment of the bracelet length in 2 mm increments for a

The graduation is coated via PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition)

total of approximately 20 mm.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller

with a thin layer of platinum. The sleek black dial features large

Like all Rolex watches, the Sea-Dweller is covered by the

Chromalight hour markers and hands, filled with luminescent

Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in

material that emits a long-lasting blue glow for excellent legibility

2015. This exclusive designation testifies that the watch has

in dark conditions.

successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in

The Sea-Dweller’s Oyster case is a paragon of robustness. Its

its own laboratories according to its own criteria, which exceed

characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block

watchmaking norms and standards. The certification applies to the

of particularly corrosion-resistant 904L steel. Its fluted case back

fully assembled watch, after casing the movement, guaranteeing

is hermetically screwed down with a special tool that allows only

superlative performance on the wrist in terms of precision, power

Rolex watchmakers to access the movement.

reserve, waterproofness and self-winding.

The winding crown is protected by a crown guard that is

The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer after casing

an integral part of the middle case. Fitted with the Triplock triple

is of the order of −2/+2 seconds per day, or more than twice that

waterproofness system, the crown screws down securely against

required of an official chronometer. The Superlative Chronometer

the case, providing watertight security akin to a submarine’s hatch.

status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex

The crystal, with a Cyclops lens at 3 o’clock for easy reading of the

watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.

date, is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire. The waterproof Oyster case provides optimum protection for the Sea-Dweller’s high-precision movement.

You can find the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller at Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry.

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Wine Cellar

by Bill Kearney

The Business of Wine THE WORLD OF WINE is extremely big business with an international appeal and relatively few boundaries or borders of appreciation. Customers from around the globe seek to find the flavor and style of their choice among the vastly different styles and profiles of wine. While America has eclipsed the French as the number-one global consumer, demand and consumption are seeing meteoric increases around the world. Accordingly, the business of wine has encountered fundamental shifts, as consolidation and acquisitions have also seen a frenzied pace. The prices that are being paid, while befuddling, are also concerning, as the inevitable result is an increase in the price of the product.

Consider the following market developments that have occurred within the last few years. Gallo Winery is the largest producer of wine in the world, with over 80 unique brands. It is privately held by the descendants of the famous Ernest and Julio Gallo. While they do not comment on the cost of their acquisitions, they have completed two significant purchases. Gallo came to terms with Orin Swift to buy his wine company, which included the Orin Swift brand, inventory and tasting room. Upon completing that deal, Gallo then turned around and purchased 600 acres of vineyard. That acquisition included the famous Stagecoach Vineyards, which is the largest contiguous tract of vineyards in Napa Valley. Stagecoach grapes are sold to over 90 different wineries, including heralded producers with names like Caymus, Duckhorn and Pahlmeyer; the terms of the deal specified that Gallo would honor existing contracts.

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Left: Beaux Frères Pinot Noir. Right: Orin Swift’s Mannequin Chardonnay.

While the financial figures of the Gallo purchases were not released, the following can give some context to the likely figures. Don’t think that the number-two producer in the world of wine is sitting idly by as its competition is growing. Constellation Brands has made several forays into the world of wine, and those prices are released. In 2015, Constellation agreed to purchase Meomi Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for the price of $315 million. It was estimated that this price was a 24-times multiple of current and future earnings. Meomi had been started in 2006 by a member of the Wagner family who owns Caymus. Did I mention that this purchase involved no real estate? But they were just getting started.

In 2016, another announcement was made by Constellation that they had agreed to pay the princely sum of $285 million for a wine company called The Prisoner. The Hunneus family, which has several holdings such as Faust, Quintessa and Flowers, had purchased The Prisoner several >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 103

years earlier for $40 million. In 2017, Constellation ponied up the comparatively paltry sum of $60 million to acquire Schrader Vineyards. Schrader sells for about $250 a bottle, but one again, there was a noticeable lack of real estate involved in these huge purchases.

If the two largest companies in the world have been this active in scooping things up, rest assured that there has been considerable activity by others. Here are but a few that might be interesting. The heralded châteaux of Bordeaux, France, have also been ripe for plucking. Classified growths like Haut Batailley and Phelan Segur have been targets as their ownership has switched hands. Robert Parker recently sold his Oregon property called Beaux Frères to an international wine-holding company, Henriot. With such frenetic buying comes great concerns of pricing and what this all means for us as consumers.

Even with a severely weakened Euro, prices for French wines have not seen the normal correction that was anticipated in light of the currency exchange. The problem is that someone is going to have to pay for the market developments, and one need not look further than a mirror to hazard a guess as to who that might be. Burgundy pricing has become silly with China switching its allegiance from Bordeaux. I used to pride myself on knowing most producers from Napa Valley. It now seems like there is a new one every day and another winery boasting of great scores and prices of $100 and up per bottle.

We shall see where all of this takes us, but history and economic models are not promising; the inevitability of continued price escalation seems profoundly certain. I am concerned about what the future holds, but in the meantime, keep enjoying your favorite glass.

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At the Table

THE CHRISTMAS SEASON is a puzzle for restaurateurs. They’re either insanely busy with private parties—some of which can take over the entirety of even very large restaurants like Arnaud’s—or they have very little going on. Adding to the perplexity is an increase in recent years of independent travelers (as opposed to conventioneers) showing up in large numbers throughout December. That’s a calendar page which historically has been very slack.

A new strategy came along in 1988, when Sandra Dartus came up with a great idea that played right into this. She was one of the key people at the 106

Inside Northside

French Quarter Festival at the time and created a program called “A Creole Christmas.” (It’s since been named “Christmas New Orleans Style.”) The concept: restaurants create special holiday menus at attractive prices for a complete, festive dinner. These are typically four to six courses of fresh, original cooking themed to the holidays.

Dartus named this “The Reveillon,” recalling a historical feast in New Orleans and other francophone places going back centuries. Local diners, ever keen for an excuse to dine festively—especially if the price was interesting—became the Reveillon’s best

illustration: GRETCHEN ARMBRUSTER

by Tom Fitzmorris

Reveillon 2017 customers. The word got out, though, and now people come from all over for Reveillon awakenings.

This year, at least sixty-six restaurants will officially take part in the Reveillon. That’s a record.

Another five to ten restaurants will put on similar menus, without hooking up with the Reveillon program.

Going through this year’s menus, we see some new approaches to the Reveillon concept.

Most striking is that a handful of restaurants have abandoned the traditional bargain aspect of the Reveillon in favor of dinners similar to chef’s tasting menus. A few of these approach the $100 mark—a long jump from the top-end Reveillons of the past.

The dinners involved are quite alluring and certainly worth the price of admission. For example, here’s the $100 Reveillon devised by Chef Tory McPhail at Commander’s Palace:

Collars & Caviar Champagne-brined and smoked redfish with butterwarm, black-skillet blinis, grilled red pimentos, ginsoaked cucumber and salted winter lemon.

Lobster & Grilled Corn Pudding Lobster bone and black truffle-infused Louisiana golden-grit pudding with sea salt, chervil and Cognac-whipped European Plugra butter.

Foie Gras & Riesling Pie à la Mode Foie gras and pecan-cake-flour pie crust slowly

baked with luxurious foie gras custard, boozy white chocolate, and duck liver ice cream.

Grande Isle Flounder Stew A French fish stew with crusty French bread, rustic bacon, Absinthe and double cream.

Squab-Stuffed Texas Quail Game bird boudin stuffed with prosciutto-wrapped hen’s yolk, braised squab, ham fat-grilled cabbage, preserved figs and warm whiskey jam.

Tasting of Artisanal French & American Cheese Accompanied by winter preserves, fire-roasted nuts and warm breads.

Santa’s “Milk & Cookies” Melted white chocolate, Bourbon, strawberries and gold.

Commander’s Reveillon menu above is exceptional. Most of the dinners run between $40 and $60 for the minimum four-course dinner. A good example is the Reveillon at the Windsor Court Grill Room, which will feed you elegantly in four courses for $54: Fried Oysters Charred Okra, Brussels Sprouts and Kale Slaw, Red Chili Lemon Butter or >> Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 107

a

t

t

h

e

t

a

b

l

e

Mushroom Fricassee Truffle Potato Purée, Egg Yolk, Caviar

INside Dining MCC: Major credit cards accepted ME: Menu Express delivery

Butternut Squash Soup Duck Confit, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Sage or Baby Lettuce Shaved Beets, Radishes, Asparagus, Candied Pecans Yogurt, and Grapefruit Vinaigrette

RR: Reservations recommended ABITA SPRINGS Abita Barbecue, 69399 Hwy. 59, 400-5025. Ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork and boudin. MCC. Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 892-5837. Good fun and great

Ginger Anise Beef Short Rib Parsnip Purée, Shimeji Mushrooms or Red Snapper Savory Bread Pudding, Crawfish and Corn Ragout

beer. On the Trace. Lunch, dinner. abitabrewpub.com. MCC. Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St., 867-9950. Tues-Sun. MCC. Camellia Café, 69455 Hwy. 59, 8096313. Traditional seafood and New

Apple Galette Brown Butter Ice Cream or Chocolate Crepe Orange Brandy, Creole Cream Cheese Custard

Orleans cuisine. thecamelliacafe.com.

MCC.

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Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 809-3880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks.

Lunch, dinner. MCC. Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 871-6674. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. Kids eat free every Wednesday! Private events and catering also provided. carretasgrill.com. MCC. The Chimes, 19130 W. Front St., 892-5396. Catering, Sunday brunch, daily lunch specials, 72 beers on tap.

Lunch and dinner. chimesbeeru.com.

MCC. Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 8936158. Soup and salad specialists. coffeerani.com. MCC. Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill, 434

Mama D’s Pizza & More, 22054 Hwy. 59, 809-0308. Lunch, dinner. mamadspizza.com.

COVINGTON

Another change I notice this year is that almost every restaurant has come up with a completely new Reveillon menu for 2017. For years, menus remained the same year after year. But not even Antoine’s and Galatoire’s can get away with that anymore. So, we get new menus from them, too.

The Reveillon menus persist through at least December 23. Most of the restaurants carry on the Reveillon through Christmas-New Year’s week. A few—including the Pelican Club, which has what I think is the best Reveillon menu in town—keep the Yuletide menu in force well into the New Year.

There’s no way you could try all the Reveillon dinners (and I have tried). But you should shop before you go. As I write this in early October, when the Reveillon menus come out, I am hard at work compiling the menus and my ratings. I should have all of these done by the time the Reveillon begins on December 1. I will have all the info by then on my web page: nomenu.com. We’ll also feature the best of the Reveillon there. The French Quarter Festival’s website has all of the menus and schedules for other Christmas-season events. It’s here: followyourjoy.com/food-and-drink/.

803-8368. Hamburgers. MCC.

Abita Roasting Company, 1011 Village Walk, 246-3345. abitaroasting.com.

Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Lunch, dinner. mamdspizza.com. MCC. Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292. Mediterranean cuisine. albashabr.com. MCC. Annadele’s Plantation, 71518 Chestnut St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic lamb & much more. annadeles.com. MCC, checks. bacobar, 70437 LA-21, 893-2450.

International street food with South Louisiana soul. bacobarnola.com.

MCC. Bear’s Restaurant, 128 W. 21st St., 892-2373. Best po-boys in the world.

MCC. Beck ‘n’ Call Cafe, 534 N. New Hampshire, 985-875-9390. Lunch Cafe, Breakfast. MCC. Bud’s Broiler, 1250 N. US 190, 985-

N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Lunch, dinner. covingtontaproom.com. MCC, ME. Copeland’s. 680 N. US 190, 985809-9659. Creole. MCC. RR. Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190, 892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. thedakotarestaurant.com. MCC, RR. Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine. delportoristorante.com. MCC, RR. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, 69292 Hwy. 21, 871-2225. Locally-owned and -operated franchise. Kids eat free on Sundays. MCC. DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Columbia St., Ste. C, 875-0160. Italian and seafood. dicristinas.com. MCC. DiMartino’s, 700 S. Tyler St., 2766460. Great food and reasonable prices. Lunch, dinner. dimartinos.com.

MCC. Don’s Seafood Hut, 126 Lake Dr., 327-7111. Lunch and dinner. donsseafoodonline.com. MCC. The English Tea Room, 734

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Rutland St., 898-3988. Authentic English cream teas. Special event

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers,

Sala Thai, 315 N. Vermont St., 249-

Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600.

teas, English scones, crumpets

1645 Hwy. 190, 327-5407. Salads,

6990. Special salads, spring rolls,

Contemporary delights. topela.com.

and cakes. Mon-Sat, 7:30am-6pm.

pizzas, calzones. 20 craft beers on

soups, noodle and curry dishes.

MCC.

englishtearoom.com. MCC, RR.

tap. Open 7 days a week. Lunch and

Sun-Thurs, 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat,

dinner. MCC. mellowmushroom.com.

11am-10pm.Lunch buffet weekdays,

Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St.,

11am-3pm. salathaibysu.com. MCC.

345-1112. A great place to start your

Fat Spoon Café, 2807 N Highway 190., 893-5111. Breakfast, Lunch,

Mugshots Grill & Bar, 300

Tues-Sun. 7am-2pm. Breakfast

River Highlands Blvd., 893-2422.

Sugarbear’s Sweet Shop, 100

severed until 10:30 on weekdays and

mugshotsgrillandbar.com.

Tyler Square, 276-2377. Creative

all day Saturday and Sunday. Reserve Fat Spoon Café for your next party.

New Orleans Food and Spirits, 208

fatspooncafe.com. MCC.

Lee Ln., 875-0432. Family owned

Gallagher’s Grill, 509 S. Tyler

day. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

La Provence Restaurant, 25020

sugarbearsweetshop.com.

Hwy. 190, 626-7662. Dinner, Sunday brunch. laprovencerestaurant.com.

and operated. neworleansfoodspirits.

Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St., 898-

com. MCC.

2166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs.

St., 892-9992. Lunch, Tues-Sat

LACOMBE

cakes and assorted sweets. Tues-Sat.

sweetdaddysbarbq.com. MCC, ME.

11:30am-2:30pm. Dinner, 5-9:30pm.

Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery

gallaghersgrill.com. MCC.

and Cafè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste.

Tchoupstix, 69305 LA Hwy. 21, 985-

5, 893-1488. Full service, year-round

892-0852. Japanese. MCC.

MCC, checks. RR. Sal & Judy’s, 27491 Hwy. 190, 8829443. Veal is the house specialty. salandjudys.com. MCC, RR.

Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food,

bakery. Luncheon salads, panini,

200 River Highlands Blvd., 327-7420.

catering, donuts, kingcakes, cupcakes

Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515

Abita Roasting Company, 504

and wedding cakes. Tues-Sun, open

E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban

Water St., 246-3340. abitaroasting.

at 7am. nonnarandazzo.com. MCC.

sandwiches and more. vazquezpoboy.

com.

Glory Bound Gyro Company, 500

com. MCC, checks, ME.

River Highlands Blvd., Ste. A, 8710711. Open 7 days a week, lunch and

Osaka West, 804 N. US 190, 985-

dinner. A new age American restaurant

871-8199. Japanese. MCC.

concept with Mediterranean influences. gloryboundgyroco.com. MCC.

MADISONVILLE

Ox Lot 9, 428 E Boston St., 400-

Keith Young’s Steakhouse, 165 Yujin Japanese Restaurant and

Hwy. 21, 845-9940. Lunch, dinner,

Sushi Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire

Tues-Fri. keithyoungs.net. MCC.

St., 809-3840. MCC. Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar,

5663. Hotel. Dinner, Sunday brunch.

Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 871-

oxlot9.com. MCC.

5252. Dine in or carry out. italianpie. com. MCC, checks.

Papi’s Fajita Factory of Covington,

Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr.,

702 Water St., 845-4970. Lunch,

327-0520. Inspired American food.

dinner. MCC, checks.

zearestaurants.com. MCC. Orlando’s, 304 Hwy. 22 West, 985-

1331 N. Hwy. 190 Ste. 100, 893La Carreta Authentic Mexican

1382. Kids eat free on Tuesday nights.

HAMMOND

Cuisine, 812 Hwy. 190, 624-

Open 7 days a week for lunch and

Brady’s, 110 SW Railroad Ave., 542-

2990. Festive Mexican atmosphere,

dinner. MCC.

6333. bradysdowntown.com.

outstanding service and value. Live

Pardos, 69305 Hwy. 21, 893-3603.

Don’s Seafood & Steak House,

music. Lunch and dinner seven days a

Lunch, Tues-Fri; Dinner, Tues-Sun;

1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550.

week. carretasrestaurant.com. MCC.

Happy hour, Tues-Fri, 4-7pm. Private

donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.

fresh food from traditional recipes,

com. MCC.

4992. Lunch, Mon-Fri; Dinner, Fri-Sat. Closed Sundays. lolacovington.com.

Water Street Bistro, 804 Water St., 985-845-3855. Contemporary Creole.

190, #7, 985-951-2246. Breakfast.

542-0043. Catering, special events,

MCC.

weddings. jacmelinn.com. MCC,

Deli, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-7287.

checks.

Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed artichokes.

985-892-6550. Contemporary Creole.

MCC, checks, ME.

MCC.

MANDEVILLE

Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St.,

Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun

Mac’s On Boston, 324 E. Boston St.,

MCC.

Another Broken Egg Cafe, 1901 US

parties and catering. pardosbistro.

Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 892-

845-4446. Seafood. MCC.

The Barley Oak, 2101 Lakeshore Dr., 727-7420. Serving 130 styles of beer,

Kirin Sushi, 223 S. Cate St., 542-

call and premium liquors. Lunch and

8888. kirinjapanesecuisine.com. MCC.

dinner. thebarleyoak.com. MCC.

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy. Mattina Bella, 421 E. Gibson St.,

21, 875-7894. Catch your morning

La Carreta Authentic Mexican

Beach House, 124 Girod, 985-

892-0708. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

buzz at this convenient drive-thru!

Cuisine, 108 N.W Railroad Ave., 419-

624-9331. Neighborhood Cafe.

MCC, checks.

Catering. MCC.

9990. Festive Mexican atmosphere,

beachhousemandeville.com. MCC.

fresh food from traditional recipes, McAlister’s Deli, 206 Lake Dr., Ste.

Pizza Man of Covington, 1248 N.

outstanding service and value. Live

Bistro Byronz, 1901 Highway 190,

15, 898-2800. Great sandwiches,

Collins Blvd., 892-9874. Checks, ME.

music. Lunch and dinner seven days a

985-951-7595. American. MCC.

salads, overstuffed potatoes. mcalistersdeli.com. MCC, checks.

week. carretarestaurant.com. MCC. Raising Canes, 1270 N. Hwy. 190,

Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Hwy. 59,

809-0250. Chicken fingers, crinkle-cut

Tommy’s on Thomas, 216 W.

Megumi of Covington,

fries, coleslaw, texas toast, signature

Thomas St., 350-6100. Pizza, pastas.

1211 Village Walk, 893-0406.

secret dipping sauce. Dine-in, to-go

Lunch, dinner. tommysonthomas.com.

Café Lynn Restaurant and

megumirestaurant.net.

and catering. MCC.

MCC, checks.

Catering, 2600 Florida St., 624-9007.

110

Inside Northside

624-5066. boscositalian.com.

i Casual fine dining for lunch, dinner and

La Carreta Authentic Mexican

Sunday brunch by Chef Joey Najolia.

Cuisine, 1200 W. Causeway

Tues-Fri, lunch: 11am-3pm. Dinner,

App., 624-2990. Festive Mexican

5pm. Catering provided. cafelynn.com.

atmosphere, fresh food from traditional

MCC.

recipes, outstanding service and value.

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Live music. Lunch and dinner seven Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-

days a week. carretasrestaurant.com.

0560. Soup and salad specialists.

MCC.

Coscino’s Pizza, 1809 N. Causeway

La Madeleine, 3434 US 190, 985-

Blvd., 727-4984. Italian. MCC.

626-7004. French. MCC.

El Paso Mexican Grill, 3410 US

The Lakehouse, 2025 Lakeshore

190, 624-2345. Made fresh from our

Dr., 626-3006, events 778-2045.

family to yours, happy hour, 2-7pm.

Restaurant open. Call for reservations.

elpasomex.com. MCC.

lakehousecuisine.com. MCC.

Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59.,

LaLou, 200 Girod St., 985-231-7125.

809-2929. Breakfast, lunch, Tues-

Breakfast. doyoulalou.com. MCC.

Sun. 7am-2pm. Breakfast served until 10:30am on weekdays and all

Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr., 504-

day Saturday and Sunday. Reserve

727-1532. Japanese. littletokyosushi.

Fat Spoon Cafe for your next party.

com. MCC.

fatspooncafe.com. MCC. Liz’s Where Y’At Diner, 2500 Florida, Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse,

985-626-8477. Breakfast, Diner. MCC.

1841 N. Causeway Blvd., 6249704. Fresh fish daily, aged beef,

Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App.,

traditional Italian. Lunch, dinner.

626-9047. Serving breakfast and

fazziosrestaurant.com. MCC, ME, RR.

lunch, daily specials.

Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps

Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in Azalea

Roule, 792-0200. Fresh organic foods

Square Shopping Center, 674-9883.

for breakfast, lunch and takeout.

Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch and

myfrancos.com/dining. MCC.

dinner, Mon-Sat. mandinasrestaurant. com.

George’s Mexican Restaurant, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342.

New Orleans Hamburger &

Family owned. Fajitas, George’s

Seafood Co., 3900 LA 22, 985-624-

nachos, Carne al la Parrilla. Best

8035. Sandwiches. MCC.

top-shelf margaritas in town. georgesmexicanrestaurant.com. MCC,

Nuvolari’s, 246 Girod St., 626-5619.

ME.

In Old Mandeville. Italian cuisine for fine dining daily for dinner or special

Gio’s Villa Vancheri, 2890 E.

events. MCC. nuvolaris.com.

Causeway App., 624-2597. Sicilian specialties by 5-star chef Gio

The Old Rail Brewing Company,

Vancheri. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat.

639 Girod St., 612-1828. Homemade

giosvillavancheri.com. MCC. RR.

American cuisine with fresh, local ingredients. Family-friendly

K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530.

atmosphere. Lunch and dinner. Closed

Featuring Louisiana seafood with

Mondays.

raw oysters 1/2 price on Tuesdays.

Express lunch and daily lunch specials

Pat Gallagher’s 527 Restaurant and

under $10. Mon-Thurs, 11am-9pm;

Bar, 527 N. Causeway Blvd, 778-2820.

Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm. kgeesrestaurant.

Lunch, Tues-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm.

com. MCC.

Dinner, Tues-Sat 5-9:30pm. gallaghers527restaurant.com.

Kazoku Sushi, 1680 LA Hwy. 59, 985-626-8118. Japanese. locu.com.

Pinkberry, 3460 Hwy. 190, 612-7306.

MCC.

Pinkberry is the original tart frozen

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La Carreta Authentic Mexican

sweet and tangy paired with high

Cuisine, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave., 370-

quality, fresh cut fruit and premium dry

0930. Festive Mexican atmosphere,

toppings. pinkberry.com.

fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy.

music. Lunch and dinner seven days a

190, 674-1565. Catering. pjscoffee.

week. carretarestaurant.com. MCC.

com. MCC. SLIDELL Pontchartrain Po-Boys, 318 Dalwill

A Touch of Italy Café, 134

Dr., 985-626-8188. Sandwiches.

Pennsylvania Ave., 639-0600. Lunch,

MCC.

dinner. kathrynandcompany.com.

MCC, checks.

Raising Canes, 3801 Hwy. 22, 6742042. Chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries,

Assunta’s, 2631 Covington Hwy.,

coleslaw, texas toast, signature secret

985-649-9768. Italian. assuntas.com.

dipping sauce. Dine-in, to-go and

MCC.

catering. MCC. Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause Rip’s on the Lake, 1917 Lakeshore

Blvd., 201-8905. Po-boys and more.

Dr., 727-2829.

bearsgrillandspirits.com. MCC.

Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod

Blue Bayou Cafe, 1101 East Howze

St., 778-0364. Lunch, dinner.

Beach Rd., 985-649-3264. American.

rustypelicanbythelake.com. MCC.

MCC.

SWEGS Kitchen, 4350 Hwy 22, Ste

Blue House Grill, 2170 Gause Blvd

H, Mandeville, 951-2064. Healthy pre-

W., 985-288-5544. Sandwiches. MCC.

made comfort food. SwegsKitchen. com, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.

Bonnie C’s, 1768 Front St., 985-288-

MCC.

5061. Creole Homestyle. MCC.

Taqueria Corona. 1901 US 190.

Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-

985-778-2135. Mexican. MCC.

6211. thecamelliacafe.com. MCC.

Taqueria La Noria. 1931 LA 59. 985-

Carreta’s Grill, 137 Taos St., 847-0020.

727-7917. Mexican. MCC.

Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere

Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N.

for lunch and dinner. carretasgrill.com.

Causeway Blvd., 626-1161. Lunch,

MCC.

dinner. timesgrill.com. ME, MCC. Copeland’s, 1337 Gause Blvd., 985Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 600 N.

643-0001. Creole. MCC.

Causeway Blvd., 626-4476. Quality China cuisine with Louisiana flair. Lunch,

Felipe’s Taqueria, 176 Town Center

dinner. treyyuen.com. MCC, checks.

Pkwy., 985-288-1210. Mexican. felipestaqueria.com. MCC.

Usual Suspects. 1680 LA 59.

985-674-3333. Chicken Fingers.

Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain

usualsuspectschicken.com. MCC.

Dr., 985-649-8055. Creole French. michaelsrestaurantslidell.com. MCC.

Vianne’s Tea House, 544 Girod St., 624-5683. A full café menu with over

Nathan’s, 36440 Old Bayou Liberty

120 loose leaf and speciality teas.

Rd., 985-643-0443. Contemporary

Breakfast, lunch. viannes.com. MCC.

Creole. MCC.

PONCHATOULA Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant,

Osaka, 792 I-10 Service Rd., 985643-9276. Japanese. MCC.

30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666. middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Palmettos on the Bayou, 1901 Bayou Ln., 643-0050.

112

Inside Northside

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504-581-1316. Louisiana seafood prepared in Creole seasonings, available in Bucktown

Peck’s Seafood Restaurant, 2315

or the French Quarter for lunch and dinner.

Gause Blvd. E., 781-7272. Po-boys,

deanies.com. MCC.

seafood, burgers and lunch specials.

MCC.

Gautreau’s, 1728 Soniat St., 504-8997397. Open Monday through Saturday.

Speckled T’s, 158 S Military Rd., 985-

Dinner. gautreausrestaurant.com. MCC,

646-1728. Seafood. MCC.

RR.

Vera’s, 2020 Gause Blvd W., 985-690-

Gumbo Shop, 630 Saint Peter St.,

9814. Seafood. MCC.

504-525-1486. Award winning gumbo and soups, ship nationwide. Lunch

Young’s, 850 Robert Blvd., 985-643-

and dinner. gumboshop.com. MCC.

9331. Steak. MCC. Louisiana Pizza Kitchen French NEW ORLEANS/SOUTHSHORE

Quarter, 95 French Market Place,

Andrea’s, 3100 19th St, 504-834-

504-522-9500. Casual dining in a fine

8583. Northern Italian and local

dining atmosphere with experienced

seafood. Lunch, dinner, Sunday

waitstaff, fresh dishes and made-from-

brunch. andreasrestaurant.com. MCC.

scratch menu items. Lunch and dinner. lpkfrenchquarter.com. MCC.

Antoine’s Restaurant, 713 Saint Louis St, 504-581-4422. antoines.

Mellow Mushroom, 3131 Veterans

com. MCC.

Memorial Blvd., 504-644-4155. Pizza, 30 craft beers on tap, lunch and

Bayona, 430 Rue Dauphine, 504-525-

dinner. mellowmushroom.com. MCC.

4455. Fresh local ingredients, balanced yet complex dishes. Lunch and dinner.

Messina’s Runway Cafe, 6001

bayona.com. MCC.

Stars and Stripes Blvd., 504-2415300. Tues-Sun, 8am-3pm.

Brennan’s, 417 Royal St., 504-

messinasterminal.com. MCC.

525-9711. Creole traditions and contemporary influences. Breakfast,

Nola Beans, 762 Harrison Ave.,

lunch and dinner. brennansneworleans.

504-267-0783. nolabeans.com. MCC.

com. MCC. RR. Opal Basil, 719 S Peters, New Caffe! Caffe!, 4301 Clearview Pwky.,

Orleans, opalbasil.com. MCC.

504-885-4845; 3547 N. Hullen, Metairie, 504-267-9190. Breakfast, lunch and

Restaurant R’evolution, 777 Bienville

coffee. caffecaffe.com. MCC.

St., 504-553-2277. Located at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Triptych of

Carreta’s Grill, 2320 Veterans Blvd.,

Quail and Oysterman’s spaghettini.

504-837-6696; 1821 Hickory Ave.,

Revolutionnola.com. MCC. RR.

Harahan, 504-305-4833. Mexican, lunch and dinner. carretasgrillrestaurant.com.

Riccobono’s Peppermill, 3524

MCC.

Severn Ave., 504-455-2266. Seafood, filets and Italian. Breakfast and

Criollo Resturant and Lounge at

lunch. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday.

Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., 504-

riccobonos.com. MCC.

523-3340. Creole dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. hotelmonteleone.com/

Sala, 124 Lake Marina, New Orleans

criollo/. MCC, RR.

504-513-2670. Cocktails and shareable plates. salanola.com.

Dat Dog, 5030 Freret St., 504-899-

MCC.

6883; 3336 Magazine St., 504-3242226; 601 Frenchmen St., 504-309-

Warehouse Grille, 869 Magazine

3363. datdog.com. MCC.

St, 504-322-2188. Lunch and dinner specials, Monday-Friday. Brunch,

Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant, 1713

Saturday-Sunday, 9am-3pm.

Lake Ave., 504-831-4141; 841 Iberville St.,

warehousegrille.com. MCC.

Novem b er-Decem b er 2017 113

photos courtesy: MARY BIRD PERKINS CANCER CENTER

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

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INside Peek

Bergeron-Frederickson Lindsey Bergeron and Eric Frederickson wed at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church surrounded by friends and family.

Lindsey wore an elegant sleeveless mermaid-style gown with embroidery and tulle skirting. She carried a bouquet of garden roses and lisianthus.

Her groom wore a classic navy suit.

Following the intimate ceremony photographed by Candra George, guests enjoyed cuisine by Nuvolari’s and a cake

by Bittersweet Confections. The happy couple now resides in Mandeville.

114

Inside Northside

Benefits of Home Gala Benefits of Home Gala patrons gathered at the Tchefuncta Country Club for an evening of entertainment by dueling pianos and cuisine from top northshore chefs. Other fun included a bourbon bar, putting contest and Kendra Scott jewelry pull. The evening’s festivities raised $166,500, benefiting Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

INside Peek

1. Covington Mayor Mike Cooper, Joel Treadwell and Daniel Gabourel at Chamber After Hours at Longleaf, Christwood’s new memory care community. 2. Carolyn A. Chassee and Bryan Huval. 3. Rolex’s Allison O’Brien and Carla Uzell with Lee Michaels’ Amy Hughes and owner Chad Berg at the Baselworld 2017 Press Preview luncheon presented by Rolex and Lee Michaels at

1

the Ace Hotel in New Orleans. 4. Seniors Kate Weldon and Mackenzie Donegan enjoy lunch with their “little sis,” 8th grader Abigail Williams, at SSA’s Big Sis – Little Sis Lunch.

5. James C. Gulotta, Gayle Benson and Robert Lyall at the New Orleans Opera Association Saints Event. 6. Junior Auxiliary 2

of Slidell members Tanya Le Gaux Encalarde,

3

Lori Aucoin, Hilary Toups; (back) Sandra Chavers, Barbara Murphy, Andrea Quave, Judy Heimbuck, Jeanne Hildebrandt, Deb Jones, Mary Gilmore and Gladys Lopez at the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries area meeting in Hattiesburg. 7. The Daughters of the American Revolution Pierre de Mandeville Chapter members present government officials with proclamations 5

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during Constitution Week. Standing: Madisonville Police Chief David Smith, Pam Herty, Bonnie Dennis, Stacy Dempsey, Sharon Beck, Rachel Shaw, Marie Porche, Margo Reinhardt; seated: DAR Regent Melody Hinojosa and Madisonville Mayor Jean P. Pelloat. 8. Margo Reinhardt, Rachel Shaw, Melody Hinojosa, St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister, Jerry Hurst and Maria Porche at DAR presentation.

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8 Inside Northside

INside Peek Puttin’ on the Glitz

photos: CAMERON PAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

The Professional Women of St. Tammany celebrated their annual Putting on the Glitz gala at The Greystone. Dressed in vintage Hollywood glam, guests enjoyed live music, food and cocktails as well as bidding on fabulous silent auction items. The evening benefited the PWST scholarship fund that is awarded to women in St. Tammany Parish who are pursuing higher education and advancement in the workplace.

1 2 1. Ruth Varisco, Steve Gorin, Michel Varisco, Ann Loomis and Jillian Gibson at the opening reception for the Martha Wright Ambrose – The Rediscovery of a Southern Regional Artist exhibit at the Atrium Gallery at Christwood. 2. Susie Villere with her gift from husband Pierre after celebrating her 60th birthday with friends at lunch. 3. Keesler Federal Credit Union celebrating the Covington branch grand opening with a ribbon cutting.

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Inside Northside

An Evening in the Vineyard

photos courtesy: KELLY KICKING CANCER

Guests joined Kelly Kicking Cancer for An Evening in the Vineyard at the Castine Center in Mandeville. In addition to food, the live band “Lost In The 60s” and silent and live auctions, the New Orleans Black And Gold Super Fans entertained the crowd with a second line entrance, autographs and picture taking. WWL TV’s Northshore Bureau Chief Ashley Rodrigue was the master of ceremonies for the evening.

Kelly Kicking Cancer was founded in 2015 in memory of Kelly C. O’Mahoney of Mandeville. Funds raised go to advanced brain cancer research and two scholarships for young Louisiana women following in Kelly’s footsteps. Learn more at kellykickingcancer.org.

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INside Peek 1. Pontchartrain Cancer Center team members at the Community Oncology Alliance Cancer Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) meeting. 2. Elizabeth Westervelt, Lillie Parrie of Palm Village and Linda Larkin at the Northshore Women’s Expo Fashion Show. 3. Women Build 2017 Committee Chair Lizby Eustis, W.A.T.C.H. 2017 Chair Daina Short and Gretchen Armbruster at the Women Accepting the Challenge of Housing Social at the St. Tammany Art Association.

4. Allyson Sanderson with Marcia Holmes at the Harvest Cup Polo Classic Patron Party hosted by Allyson and her husband, Michael. 5. Cindy Petry, Paula Meiners, Janice Perkins and Phoebe Whealdon.

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6. Saint Paul’s future health professionals, HOSA members David Needles, Beau Franklin, Michael Valliant, Sean Hightower, Jack Grace, Andrew Norlin, Blake Ramsey, Jacques DuPassage, Jakob Massey, Paul Stolin, Chris Wilson and Lenny Carollo, after organizing a food drive for both people and pets affected by Hurricane Harvey.

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Jenkins Jam

The first annual Jenkins Jam was held at Fulton Alley in New Orleans. With over 500 guests, the evening included live music and silent and verbal auctions. Proceeds benefited the Benjamin Blanchard Memorial Fund for Cancer Patient Assistance at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Success Prep Academy, an inner city New Orleans charter elementary school for disadvantaged children. “We were extremely humbled by the outpouring of support both financially and personally.

We raised more money than we ever dreamed we would.

Next year’s Jenkins Jam is scheduled for August 18th in New Orleans,” says Mark Blanchard. For more information, visit benblanchardfoundation.com.

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Last Bite

Above: Coriander Blackened Redfish.

Inset: Executive Chef Hayley Vanvleet.

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IN THE HEART of the premier art district in New Orleans, Curio on Royal Street serves American cuisine with a Creole soul. In the late 1800s, Royal Street was home to a famous “curio” shop, a place where curiosities from all over the world could be had for a mere dollar or two. Today, the shop is no more, but that feeling of excitement and wonder still exists.

Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts brought back that curiosity by reintroducing New Orleans to a circus of vibrant flavor on the Curio menu. Executive Chef Hayley Vanvleet joined Creole Cuisine as sous chef at Kingfish Kitchen and Cocktails in 2016. Her creativity and leadership brought her to the newest establishment as executive chef.

Because flavor is the main attraction, Chef Hayley’s starter options include Shrimp Boulettes with buttermilk chive dip, white cheddar stoneground Grit Tots with roasted red pepper coulis and Roast Duck & Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo made

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with Poche’s andouille and popcorn rice. Candied Fried Pork Ribs and Steamed Whitewater Mussels also make an appearance as appetizers.

Lunch entrées include Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Confit Salad, Crispy Oyster Chopped Salad and Grilled Bakkafrost Salmon, which can also be found on the brunch menu. Both sweet and savory options are offered for Curio brunch, including Caramelized Baked French Toast and the Curio Brunch Burger.

For dinner, enjoy Coriander Blackened Red Fish with lump crab salad and honey creamed mustard greens, or maybe Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Clemenceau with sweet pea purée, sautéed mushrooms and Brabant potatoes. Keeping with curiosity, dessert offerings include S’more Brownie Pie and Browned Butter Rum Pound Cake.

Curio is located at 301 Royal Street in New Orleans. 504-717-4198. curionola.com.

photos courtesy: CURIO CREOLE CUISINE RESTAURANT GROUP

Curio