iver parishe R S MAGAZINE
Spring 2018 Edition Local Builder leading national industry collective
TRUE HERO: Area grad, 9/11 victim gave life for others
Advocate provides hope & resources for domestic abuse victims
A Special Publication of
L’OBSERVATEUR
RIVER PARISHES MAGAZINE
www.lobservateur.com
Bienvenue! Welcome:
Springtime is finally here and it’s great for spending time with family and friends enjoying seafood boils, snoballs and baseball games! If these types of activities sound appealing, then St. John the Baptist Parish is just the place for you! St. John the Baptist Parish , often called the heart of Louisiana’s “River Parishes, is home to some 44,000 residents. The Parish is divided by the Mississippi River and is intersected by I-10, Hwy. 61 and I-55. Comprised of eight communities, the Parish features sugar cane, fairs and festivals, authentic cuisine and scenic attractions. It also touts one of the largest tonnage ports in the western hemisphere. St. John has become quite the destination for tourists and filmmakers alike. Several feature films and shows, including the hit OWN Network series, Queen Sugar, have been filmed throughout the Parish. Filming is so frequent that on any given day, Hollywood “Stars” may be seen around town at local lunch spots. Don’t forget about our mainstays - music, andouille, hunting, fishing and swamp and plantation tours. Our eclectic and diverse community provides tourists visiting New Orleans and Baton Rouge an opporunity to take a day trip for a change of scenery. Easy access, limited driving time and a welcoming atmosphere provide a change of pace from the huustle and bustle of the big city. Stopping in with the kids? Beat the heat by visiting our newly built spray parks located at the Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park and REGALA Park, free of charge! With a newly renovated skating rink, new indoor playground and educational venue and a state-of-the-art movie theatre, our quaint community provides entertainment for the entire family. As Parish President, I am pleased that new construction and renovation projects are on the upswing and the unemployment rate is the lowest its been in years. Entrepreneurship is also gaining steam, with more than 100 individuals graduating from the Parish’s award winning business training program, FastTrac. Please visit the parish website at www.sjbparish.com to view our latest news, updates and upcoming events. St. John the Baptist Parish is a great place to live, work, and raise a family, and we invite you to take part in all that we have to offer! -Natalie Robottom St. John the Baptist Parish President 2 ~ RIVER PARISHES MAGAZINE
Table of Contents LaPlace builder leads national group -------- 6 Help domestic violence victims get out ----- 10 Robert J. Hymel lived as an American hero -- 12 The Rev. Skip Alexander is a civil right icon -- 19 SCENE IT: River Parishes in the news -------- 22 Dining ------------------------------------------- 26 Food 4 You: Smoked Chicken Wings --------- 30
River Parishes Magazine Publisher/Editor ~ Stephen Hemelt Advertising ~ Christine Browning • Candace Hemelt • Scott Forsythe Contributing Writers ~ Brooke Robichaux • Lori Lyons • Monique Roth
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Built from
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hen Randy Noel was 12, his father handed him a broom, put him in a 3,000 square foot house that was under construction and said, “Start cleaning it up.” That, Noel said, was pretty much the start of what would be a long and lucrative career as a home-builder in greater LaPlace. Today, Noel and his business partner, Bill Bourgeois, own Reve, Inc. in LaPlace. Pronounced “re – vay,” it means “dream” in French, and for the past 33 years, Noel has helped dreamers take their visions from thoughts and ideas, magazine pages and Pinterest boards to their dream come true. “That’s what we’re doing,” Noel said. “We’re building houses, we’re building dreams, we’re building dream homes.” Just recently, Noel saw his own dream come true when he was elected Chairman of the Board for the National Association of Home Builders during the annual International Builder Show in RANDY NOEL Orlando. Noel is the first person from Louisiana elected as Chairman in the Association’s history. “It’s kind of a big deal,” Noel said. Bourgeois said it is a good thing for the home builders and their industry in general. “He’ll be looking out for them,” Bourgeois said. “He’ll try to keep the legislators from trying to put more restrictions on us and make it harder and harder to build houses, affordable houses. He deserves it. He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. He cares about the industry and that’s why he got into this in the first place. He loves the industry and wants it to be better for everybody. He didn’t do this for his own personal gain or anything. He did it because he wanted to make the industry a better industry.” Noel campaigned hard for the post, convincing the electorate in speeches throughout the country that the Association needed to focus on the small builders rather than big developers. Experience is on his side, as well. He worked for his dad, the late Randy Noel, throughout high school as a plumber and carpenter, learning the business from the bottom up. Randy Noel had helped build up Kenner until the land ran out. “The next big stop was LaPlace,” Noel said, “It was the next stop on the Interstate highway and, at the time, Airline Highway through St. Charles was protected wet lands. The next sustainable land was LaPlace. So he and T.J. James partnered and built Cambridge Subdivision. That’s when I went to work for him building houses. We
om the ground up
Randy Noel has ascended to the top of the building industry, as he was recently named chairman for the Board for the National Association of Home Builders.
were finishing three houses per week.” Unfortunately, interest rates went sky high and the housing market crashed. “My dad packed up and moved to Florida,” Noel said. “That stretch of time from the 80s to the 90s was a bad time.” But Noel stuck it out and, in 1985, partnered with Bourgeois to open Reve. He even hired a 17-year-old whiz kid out of East St. John who learned to draw plans on the fancy new computer software. “We were blessed to have business every year,” he said. In 1995, Noel told Bourgeois that one of them needed to get involved in the local homebuilders association. “They were beginning to write laws pertaining to home building that were affecting what we were doing,” Noel said. “(Bill) said, ‘Well, that’s not my cup of tea.” So Noel got on the Board of Directors of the Homebuilders Association of Greater New Orleans and became active, sitting on several important commit-
tees. In 2001 he became President of the New Orleans Association. Three years later he became president of the Louisiana Home Builders Association and a state representative to the National Association of Home Builders. Along the way Noel was chosen Homebuilder of the Year in Greater New Orleans in 1997 and 2001, and in 2005 was the Louisiana Home Builder of the Year. In 2007 he was inducted into the Louisiana Home Builders Hall of Fame. “I got involved because we were dealing with local governments and state governments and national governments and we wanted to make sure they didn’t make our jobs impossible to do,” Noel said. “We were dealing with a lot of stuff after the 80s, the environmental regulations, the banking regulations, the finance regulations. We were just beginning to look at building codes and I wanted to be involved in those discussions, as well.” In fact, Noel, as a member of the Code Council under Gov. Kathleen Blanco, helped write the statewide building code that went into effect after Hurricane Katrina, which helped convince insurers not to abandon the state. He also helped secure more than $32 million in grants to set up the current system, which has 369 code office jurisdictions and 600 registered code officials and inspectors. Noel does worry about the future, however. Building in LaPlace is slowing, he said. “Until they put a sign up saying, ‘Levee coming soon,’ it’s going to be hard to sell here,” he said. “After Isaac, nobody’s doing any new developments because they’re waiting to see what happens with the new levee.” Meanwhile, Noel is seeing a housing boom on the West Bank of St. Charles and in the Vacherie-Wallace area. While it has been a long and distinguished career, what matters most to Noel is making those dreams come true for his customers. “Every customer we have comes in and redesigns what we’ve got, brings in something from scratch or we start from scratch,” Noel said. “Every customer gets his own plan. They begin to follow a bit of a pattern. We take you through plans we’ve already got priced out and try to get you something close to what you want. We have a customer tell us what they don’t want, and we design around that.” Right now the big trends are cottage-style houses with big tubs and separate showers, high ceilings and granite countertops, and it’s all done by computer. Some dreams are a bit over the top, of course, which drives home-building costs higher and higher. “They tell us, ‘Build me my dream house,’” he said. “They tell us this is what they’re dreaming, then we give them the price and then they start peeling back to their budget.” — By Lori Lyons
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Helping Domestic Abuse Victims Become ... SURVIVORS JoAnn Proctor, a native and resident of St. John the Baptist Parish, stumbled upon a video one night highlighting actress Kerry Washington’s involvement with Purple Purse, the Allstate Foundation initiative focused on ending domestic violence through financial empowerment. Remembering the video, Proctor says, “I was intrigued and thought, ‘What can I do to help?’” After mulling over some ideas and talking to friends, Proctor decided to start Purple Backpack Project. Her project’s mission is to purchase purple backpacks — the first of which was purchased by one of the friends she first consulted in the beginning stages of her idea — and fill them with basic necessities before distributing them to local domestic abuse shelters. “Backpacks, to me, represent travel and having everything you need inside,” Proctor says. “I did research and found that many victims of domestic violence take nothing more than the clothes they are wearing, so having a backpack with basic necessities will at least help them feel as though they have something to start with.” Proctor says her love for research led her to uncover staggering statistics regarding domestic abuse in the United States, particularly in Louisiana. According to Safe Horizon, a national organization dedicated to helping victims of violent crimes, one in four
10 ~ RIVER PARISHES MAGAZINE
women fall victim of domestic violence at some point during their lifetime. The most recent statistics released by Washington D.C.-based Violence Policy Center say in 2017 Louisiana ranked third in the nation for female victims killed by male offenders in single victim/single JOANN PROCTOR offender incidents. Mariah Wineski, executive director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says programs across the state are stretched dangerously thin. “This report should be a wake-up call for Louisiana policy makers,” she adds. Proctor says she hopes her effort to help domestic abuse victims starts a conversation amongst local individuals, families and elected officials about the plight of so many River Region women. Associated with various local organizations and community projects, Proctor recently received a Rotary Club of LaPlace grant to fund the purchase and filling of 10 backpacks. These backpacks, Proctor says, are just the beginning. Rotary Club of LaPlace President Robbie Tomeny said members should always count their blessings and reach out when there are people in need. “Rotary is an international organization, but we have to look first to help those in our own community,” she said. “We have to show compassion. It is why we wanted to help JoAnn and give her the grant. We hope to continue this in the future.” Proctor envisions partnering with local industries to fund more backpacks. “There’s never too much help being given in the form of basic necessities, and I also want to use my skills as a researcher to gather informational resources that I can hopefully share with women
shelters,” she said. Proctor has joined the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and says organizers have already asked her for more information. “You know that expression — I’ve got your back?” Proctor says. “These women may not have anyone who have their back, but they will have that backpack. “Hopefully, it’ll represent the fact they’ve made a good decision to move on.” Proctor’s years JoAnn Proctor, from left, Harry spent teaching Glidden, Robbie Tomeny and school-aged chilLucien Gauff III work to fill purple dren made her more backpacks as a tool to help victims aware of the painful of domestic violence. situations many people face at home. For more information about Proctor’s program or to donate, contact Proctor by emailing purplebackpack3@ gmail.com. — By Monique Roth
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American Hero gave his life how he lived: helping others
Lt. Col. Robert J. Hymel survived a violent B-52 bomber crash during his service to the nation as a member of the United States Air Force in the midst of the Vietnam War. He was tragically killed during the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.
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Robert J. Hymel’s funeral service in 2001 included a horse-drawn procession before his burial in Arlington National Cemetery.
Robert J. Hymel’s legacy celebrated at SCC’s Wall of Honor Memorial
I
n 1972, St. Charles Parish native Lt. Col. Robert J. Hymel clung to life against all odds as his B-52 bomber plane fell from the sky in the midst of the Vietnam War. Hymel was rescued just minutes before the cockpit burst into flames, killing nearly all of his crew members. Crushed vertebrae, collapsed lungs, two broken hands, a broken arm and a broken leg wasn’t enough to derail his 24-year Air Force career, during which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. In the end, it was an office job that cost him his life. The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Hymel parked outside the Pentagon, packed his belongings and prepared to move offices to The Knights of Columbus a different section of the memorial tower at St. building. Charles Catholic High School was dedicated As news stations erupted with footage of the hor- this year in honor of Robrifying attack to the World ert J. Hymel. Trade Center, Hymel received a call from his wife, Patricia, who worked as a principal at a nearby elementary school. Patricia asked how thick the walls of the Pentagon were. After a slight pause, they both answered, “three feet” and tried to shake off any concerns. Robert had survived unimaginable threats in his combat career. An office space wasn’t a warzone.
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Shortly after, American Airlines Flight 77 pierced through the Pentagon, slamming into the structure with an impact felt by students at Patricia’s school. Two typically quiet teachers pounded at her locked office door and told her what they saw. Patricia had to push her darkest fears to the back of her mind as she worked to ensure the safety of more than 400 students. “Immediately, I knew what had happened,” Patricia said. “My husband and I had always discussed that we both had our own jobs and responsibilities. I had to keep doing what I was doing.” A co-worker, also a military wife, asked her, “What are you going to do if something happens to Bob?” “We just have to keep marching forward,” Patricia said. “We have no other choice.” Her dread amplified later that day, when she saw her husband’s unattended car in the Pentagon parking lot and no one seemed to know of his whereabouts. Hymel’s body was discovered amongst firescorched wreckage using dental records nearly two weeks later. Age 55 at his time of death, he was found pinned under a door frame, attempting to rescue a woman in a final act of service. Today, Hymel rests in Arlington National Cemetery, and his picture serves as the centerpiece of Wall of Honor at St. Charles Catholic High School, his alma mater. On Jan. 30, a newly constructed Knights of Columbus memorial tower on the front façade of the school was dedicated to his service. Patricia Hymel Lipinski has since remarried but keeps “Hymel” in her name as a tribute to her fallen husband. She lives in Virginia and spends time with their only daughter, Natalie, born during Hymel’s time in Vietnam, and their two granddaughters. “He was an all-American guy,” Patricia said. “He was family-oriented. Church was important to him. He was very proud to be an American and very proud to be a pilot. Above all, he was proud to be a father.” Hymel’s life of heroism concluded with several memorial services, three of which were held in Lafayette and attended by numerous classmates he impacted during his time at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Patricia requested his funeral service and burial take place at Arlington National Cemetery with a special B-52 flyover to commemorate his service. She and her husband bring flowers to Hymel’s grave as often as they are able. “What needs to be understood is you move on with your life, but you never forget someone like that,” Patricia said, adding Hymel loved spontaneous trips. She fondly recalls him bringing her on a bus tour to a chapel, where they renewed their vows when she was nine months pregnant with Natalie. “We married in our 20s and grew up together,” Patricia said. “I was 51 when he died. You move on, but you can’t negate that part of your life.” Hymel’s twin sister, Mary Hymel Toce, keeps a scrapbook of his memorials and prays for her broth-
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Authement learned of Hymel’s story in 2006 when he struck up a conversation with Toce at a St. Charles Catholic alumni event. Toce mentioned graduating alongside her twin brother in 1964. When Authement asked if he would be attending the alumni event, Toce broke the news that he had died five years earlier in the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks. At that moment, Authement knew he had to learn more about the fallen hero. “I was so curious about what happened that I asked to meet with her the next day,” Authement said. Soon after, Authement started a thorough investigation of Hymel’s life and death that lasted for years. He chronicled Hymel’s life, comparing the moment a stranger rescued Hymel from near-certain death during the catastrophic plane crash that left an adjacent crew member beheaded to Hymel’s last act of heroism, in which he tried to extend the same service by helping others trapped in the Pentagon. To further add to the irony, Hymel’s office in the affected part of the building was believed to be a wrong assignment prompting a relocation scheduled for Sept. 12. “His sacrifice needed to be memorialized,”
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Authement said. “Students need to know what sacrifices were made.” Authement said Hymel is the bridge that connects the legacies of the two school sites, uniting them as one. In September 1978, 14 years after Hymel graduated, St. Charles High School was moved to its current location in LaPlace. The Office of Archdiocese approved the name St. Charles Catholic High School in 1985. Hymel now serves as the centerpiece for the Wall of Honor Memorial in the St. Charles Catholic commons area, which also features graduates who dove headfirst into the War on Terror. After finding out Hymel was an active member and blood drive organizer for the Knights of Columbus council 8183 in Woodbridge, Va,. Authement embarked on a multi-year endeavor to institute a Knights of Columbus tower as part of St. Charles Catholic’s renovations. Dedicated in honor of Hymel Jan. 30, the Knights of Columbus memorial tower contains four pillars recognizing the founding principles of the Knights of Columbus: charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. It was a project more than six years in the making. “After it was done, I took a big breath of relief knowing his memory will live on long after me,” Authement said. Patricia and her husband flew out to attend the dedication, and she said it was a fitting tribute to a man who touched many lives.
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18 ~ RIVER PARISHES MAGAZINE
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The Rev. Samson “Skip” Alexander
“I WAS A TROUBLEMAKER” Civil Rights icon served in United States Air Force, married a St. John girl & was there to see history There is no simple epithet for Samson “Skip” Alexander. Since the 1950s, he has had “Reverend” before his name, but there is a long list of possibilities for what can come after: boxer, football player, track athlete, musician, veteran. He’s been a journalist, a photographer, a radio and television broadcaster and a political analyst. Then there’s trailblazer, union organizer, civil rights advocate and witness to history. Alexander, now 88 and somewhat retired, was on the front rows of some of America’s most historic events. He just couldn’t help himself, he said. “I was a troublemaker,” he said with a grin. When the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference held its first meeting in New Orleans in 1957, Alexander was there. When Ruby Bridges walked up the steps to William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960, Alexander was there. When A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin led the March on Washington in 1963 and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech, Alexander was there. When civil rights leaders, including U.S. Rep. John Lewis, marched from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights, he was there. And when King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, Alexander was there. He also was at the funeral, helping arrange the seat-
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ing for the many celebrities and dignitaries, and making sure things were taken care of. When asked if he marched with Dr. King, Alexander quipped, “No. He used to march with me.” They met in Atlanta, when the civil rights movement was but embers and the idea of a march to Washington was unthinkable. “Dr. King wasn’t the Dr. King that you know,” he said. “We had other ministers that were more famous. New Orleans and Atlanta were sister cities. We would go there and they would come here, preaching and singing. That’s the only way you could travel during segregation, you had to be something like (entertainers). You couldn’t just be walking about. And we’d have church conventions. King would run for office and this guy named Jackson
The Rev. Samson “Skip” Alexander is an associate pastor at Christian Unity Baptist Church.
would beat him every time. We helped him and he finally won.” He counts among his friends President Barack Obama, Fats Domino and Louis Armstrong. In fact,
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he was one of the first to join the Krewe of Zulu in 1949 – when Armstrong was the King Zulu. “I did a whole lot of things,” Alexander said. “You’re never going to
interview another guy like me.” Born to a young mother who underwent a brutal Caesarean section a month past her due date when black women weren’t
allowed into regular hospitals, Alexander says he “jumped out” of his mother’s womb. He was raised by his grandmother, who saw to his education. He attended Booker T. Washington High School but joined the Air Force before he finished. While overseas, Alexander studied philosophy and photography. He met General Douglas MacArthur when he was in the South Pacific and President Harry S. Truman in Billings, Montana. Alexander was but a young man, trying to play football for the U.S. Air Force team when the team was told he would not be allowed to play. “They made a phone call to Harry Truman,” Alexander said. “He said, ‘He’s going to play.’ I played.” Alexander also ran track, running the 100-yard dash in a then-record setting time of 9.5 seconds. While
in the Air Force, Alexander also worked as a mechanic and claims to have invented de-icers for the Superfortress B-29 flown during the Korean war. When he returned home, Alexander found a career as a radio and television broadcaster. “Back then there was a disc jockey named Okey Dokey,” he said, referring to the legendary James “Okey Dokey” Smith, who worked for WBOK and coined the phrase “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” “Radio was our television, Alexander said. “We didn’t have television. The only television we had was in the front window of the furniture store on Dryades Street. They’d have about 50 of us out there looking.” He still hosts a weekly radio show, Hidden History, on WBOK every Thursday at 3 p.m. as well as “Eyewitness to History” on Cox Cable, Ch. 76 on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. He is
Troxie’s
also an associate pastor at Christian Unity Baptist Church in New Orleans, but rarely preaches anymore. His father, Felix Fortier and his grandmother lived in Tigertown, near Edgard, and he used to make summer visits to “the country.” It was during those visits that he met his future wife, Theresa Jarrow Alexander. “She was a Second Ward girl,” Alexander said. They were married 60 years. She died shortly after Hurricane Katrina while living in Baton Rouge after their house took on 18 feet of water. They had four children together. It has been a large life for Alexander, and he isn’t done yet. He said he did about 80 interviews surrounding the recent anniversary of the death of Dr. King. Mike Stewart, Deacon of Christian Unity Church, said Alexander is the epito-
me of the wise elder. “Everything he went through, all the struggles for civil rights to make it better for a lot of us, blacks and whites,” Stewart said. “He’s a wonderful preacher and a great guy.” Alexander is most proud of the fact that he’s still here, having survived, first, his birth, then so much angst and turmoil in the world. He’s met leaders, kings, presidents and celebrities. “And they’ve met me,” he quipped. “I never smoked, I never drank, I never gambled and I never took dope,” he says. “Everybody I meet has done that.” And (he says) he doesn’t want any streets named for him. “I’m not into all that,” he said. “There’s a street named Alexander right behind Jesuit High School. That’s fine by me.” — By Lori Lyons
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Aidan Hidalgo, a Junior Beta Club student at J.B. Martin Middle School, ran for state secretary for Junior Beta. Aidan spoke to the thousands of students at the state convention. He performed a presentation to help motivate members to vote for him. After the online polls closed and Beta students in attendance casted their votes, Aidan was the chosen Junior Beta State Secretary.
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Students in St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools got the op March with Grambling State University President Rick Gallot and lege President Ray Belton during their visits to multiple schools
22 ~ RIVER PARISHES MAGAZINE
River Parishes
Mariana Mendieta and Kali Powell strut along to second line music during Ascension of Our Lord Catholic School’s eighth annual “Krewe of Pre-K Crusaders.” Students dressed in Mardi Gras masks and T-shirts and paraded around the school grounds on decorated wagons.
ot the opportunity to meet and interact in Gallot and Southern University and A&M Colschools throughout the parish.
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A’Nyah Johnson of R.K. Smith Middle School earned a State Runner-Up in the Poetry contest at the Jr. Beta Club state convention in Lafayette, allowing A’Nyah to represent her school and compete at the national level.
John J. Cummings III, founder of Whitney Plantation in Wallace, listens as Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser speaks during a March visit to the St. John the Baptist Parish plantation and museum that is dedicated to remembering and honoring the experience of American slaves.
St. John Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre recognizes Bernard Jarrow Jr. and Rita Jarrow as West Bank carnival king and queen of the St. John Council on Aging.
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R.K. Smith Middle School in Luling recently announced its 2017-2018 teacher of the year Stephanie Gullage, who is joined by principal Harold Blood.
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St. Charles Parish Facilities Manager Phil Dufrene, left, and Executive Director Darrin Duhe attend a reception at the Courthouse in Hahnvlle held for Dufrene who retired Feb. 22 after seven years of service with St. Charles Parish. Dufrene served as planning and zoning director under the Laque administration from March 2004 to January 2006 and has served as facilities manager of the General Government Buildings Office since February 2013 under the St. Pierre and Cochran administrations.
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Junior Beta Club at J.B. Martin Middle School traveled to the Louisiana State Jr. Beta Convention in the Cajun Dome on the campus of the University of Louisiana Lafayette. The technology group consisting of Kaitlyn Aucoin, Gerald Hucke, Charles Franks, Evan Savoie, Logan Jones, Hannah Thomas, Ellie Burns and McKinley Bergeron received the Champion’s Award – first place with their two-minute media presentation video on what it means to be a Beta and having “A Beta Mindset,” which was the theme of this year’s convention.
Hunter Leonard enjoys kingcake and punch during Ascension of Our Lord Catholic School’s Mardi Gras Extravaganza, which followed a second line that ended in Don Bosco Hall. Preschoolers, along with parents, grandparents and siblings, were treated to a king cake party.
Destrehan High senior soccer players Kyle Grieshop and Phillip Stratton were named Academic All-State by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association for maintaining the highest grade point average and competing in sports. Principal Stephen Weber is seen with the student-athletes.
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Local Flavor St. John Parish
Cajun Grill 135 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-359-4745 Chili’s Grill & Bar 1820 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-652-1227
Baba’s Sports Bar & Grill 509 Main Street., LaPlace 985-359-5555 Bailey’s Andouille 513 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-652-9090 Bec’s At the Lake 105 Gary Rd., LaPlace 985-224-8172 Belle Terre Country Club 111 Fairway Drive, LaPlace 985-652-5000 Best Wok Chinese Restaurant 530 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-652-9989 Buddy B’s 2788 River Rd E, Garyville 985-535-3663
Chinese King 1036 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-651-7888
Dragon Garden 140 Belle Terre Blvd., Ste E., LaPlace 985-652-7250 Dunkin Donuts 1334 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-359-9244 Donut Hole 421 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-651-4001
Church’s Chicken 1601 W Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-652-2089
El Mexicano 1036 W Airline Hwy # 123, LaPlace, LA 70068 (985) 652-4250
Chung’s Heavenly Sweets 607 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-359-7987
El Paso 1900 US-51 Ste D, Laplace 985-618-3313
Connie’s Grill 1462 LA-44, Reserve 985-536-3256
Fatty’s 186 Museum St., Garyville
Clay’s Cafe 975 B Cambridge, LaPlace 985-359-6848
Frisco Deli 1113 W Airline Hwy, Laplace, LA 70068 (985) 651-7745 LaPlace Frostop 411 Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-652-6361 Gator’s Den Old Highway 51 South, Manchac 985-386-7902 Guidry Goody’s 3595 W Airline Hwy., Reserve 504-606-1185 Hibachi Supreme Grill 1721 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-652-5233 Huddle House 4325 Hwy. 51, LaPlace 985-651-1800
Frenier Landing 113 Dottie Lane, LaPlace 985-224-2178
IHop 220 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-652-4468
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Jacob’s Andouille 505 W Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-652-9080
Rotolo’s Pizzera 3503 W. Airline Hwy., Ste. B, Reserve 985-536-3503
Jambalya Shoppe 150 Belle Terre Blvd, LaPlace 985-359-5747
Ruby Garden Chinese Restaurant 3101 U.S. 51, LaPlace 985-653-8700
Kobe Japanese Steak and Sushi 506 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-652-8880/652-8853
Mabile’s Restaurant
“Home of the Best Roast Beef in Town!” • Fresh Po-Boys • Seafood Muffaletta • Finger Sandwiches • Vegetable Trays • Plate Lunches • Italian Muffaletta
985-651-2893
1124 W. Airline Hwy. • LaPlace, LA 70068
Momma Jo’s 2917 Hwy 51, Ste A., LaPlace 985-224-2666 McDonalds •4297 U.S. Hwy. 51, LaPlace 985-652-5171 •1608 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-652-2600 •5387 W Airline, Hwy, Garyville Petra 10363 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-359-8888 Pier 51 Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar 3017 U.S. 51, LaPlace 985-651-0300 Pirouge’s Cafe 719 W 10th St., Reserve 985-479-7800 PJ’s Coffee 1808 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-764-7573
Sam’s Southern Eatery 1173 E. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-359-1677 Sicily’s 214 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-652-7010 Subway •357 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-652-8700 •1616 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-652-4822 •2701 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace •1900 Hwy. 51, Ste. B, LaPlace 985-479-7827 985-652-9699 Tavern 61 1421 W Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-359-6161 TNT Seafood 405 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace 985-359-6312 Turn Arounds 1107 E. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-224-2818 Waffle House 4304 Hwy. 51, LaPlace 985-651-6111 Wayne Jacob’s Restaurant 769 W 5th St., LaPlace 985-652-9990 Zaman Mediterranean Cafe 1502 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-359-5566 Zora Christina 2003 W Airline Hwy, LaPlace 985-359-3673
Popeye’s Fried Chicken 1603 W Airline Hwy., LaPlace 985-652-3030 Raising Cane’s 123 West Airline Hwy, Laplace 985-652-4701
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Popeye’s 982 La. Hwy. 3125, Gramercy 225-869-6060
St James Parish
Sandwich World Hwy. 3125, Gramercy 225-869-6060
Bonnie’s 2827 Hwy 20, Vacherie 225-624-0402 Café Perique 234 East Main St., Gramercy 225-869-1774 China King 849 N. Pine St., Gramercy 225-869-2000 Chuck Lee’s Chinese Kitchen 10560 Hwy. 70 W., St. James 225-473-3050 Creole House Cafe 3409 Hwy 3125, Paulina 225-859-3333 DJ’s Grille 21060 La. Hwy. 20, Vacherie 225-265-7600 Golden Grove Restaurant 935 La. Hwy. 641, Gramercy 225-869-1212
Spectacular Tubers 1665 Hwy. 3125, Gramercy 225-869-5600 Subway 10850 Hwy. 3125, Gramercy Taylor’s Express Truck Stop 964 La. Hwy. 3125, Gramercy 225-869-1734 Tod’s Catering 2180 S. Albert St., Lutcher 225-869-7000
St Charles Parish
Grand Point Truck Stop Casino 3415 La. Hwy. 3125, Paulina 225-869-6960
Anita’s Smokin’ Steak Burgers 13145 U.S. 90 Ste. B, Boutte 985-785-2220
Hymel’s Seafood Restaurant 8740 La. Hwy. 44, Convent 225-562-7031
Bamboo Garden 13491 U.S. 90, Ste. 6, Boutte 985-785-9929
Jenny’s Overstuffed Poboy & Chicken Shop 114 N. Airline Hwy., Gramercy 225-869-0899
Bei Jing 12895 U.S. 90, Ste. D, Boutte 985-331-8885
Nobile’s Restaurant & Bar 2082 W. Main St., Lutcher 225-869-8900 Oak Alley Restaurant 3645 La. Hwy. 18, Vacherie 225-265-2151 Pizza Hut 1665 La. Hwy. 3125, Gramercy 225-869-6151
Breeze Cafe 124 Longview Drive, Destrehan 985-764-8800 Boulevard Bistro, 1950 Ormond, Ste. B, Destrehan Buster’s Grill 10405 Airline Hwy., St. Rose 504-472-0771 Cafe Ormond 1974 Ormond Blvd., Destrehan 985-725-0741
Cajun Kitchen 13322 U.S. 90, Boutte, Ste. Q 985-785-2405
The Howling Pepper 109 St. Rose Ave., St. Rose 504-466-1944
Cashio’s Food Villa and Deli 13572 River Road, Destrehan 985-764-9389
IHOP 14099 Hwy. 90, Boutte 985-308-0013
Chow’s Garden 1974 Ormond Blvd., Ste. I, Destrehan 985-725-2469
Iron Gate 13299 U.S. 90, Boutte 985-308-0013
Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken •116 Longivew Drive, Destrehan 985-764-1231 •13210 U.S. 90, Boutte 985-785-1377
Cucina Bon Creole At Cypress Lakes Country Club 10 Villere Dr., Destrehan 985-764-6868
Jas Café 307 Paul Maillard Rd., Luling 985-785-0200
Portside Restaurant 11698 River Road, St. Rose 504-546-93111
Julie’s Restaurant 15805 River Road, Hahnville 985-783-6349
Rico’s Cafe 124 Longview Dr, Destrehan 985-725-3170
Little Tokyo 13371 U.S. 90, Ste. A, Boutte 985-331-0887
Rotolo’s Pizzeria 150 Ormond Center Court, Destrehan 985-725-2411
Lovecchio’s Deli 29 Apple St., Norco 985-725-5683
Sailfish Food and Spirits 12287 U.S. 90, Luling 985-308-0712
Taste of Tokyo 1972 Ormond Blvd., Ste. E-2, Destrehan 985-764-1818
Mariano’s Italian Eatery 12371 Highway 90, Ste. A, Luling 985-785-7777
Seafood Pot 14386 River Rd., Destrehan 985-725-0053
Trey Wah (Chinese) 124 Longview Drive, Destrehan 985-764-1147
Southern Latte Cafe 50 Wade St., Ste. 1, Luling 985-308-1472
Two Sisters Bakery 100 Melonie St., Ste. E, Boutte 985-308-0280
Sonic Drive In 12557 U.S. 90, Luling 985-331-0099
Voodoo Grill 100 James Drive East, St. Rose 504-464-1880
Sports Pub & Grill 3001 Ormond Blvd, #B Destrehan 985-331-0099
Waffle House 14173 U.S. 90, Boutte 985-758-6499
Daddy’s Fried Chicken 15683 River Road, Hahnville 985-783-6743 Destrehan Donuts 1974 Ormond, Ste. D, Destrehan 985-764-0050 Dot’s Diner 12179 U.S. Hwy. 90, Luling 985-785-6836 El Mexicano 12715 U.S. Hwy. 90, Ste. 140, Luling 985-785-7694 El Paso Mexican Grill 12895 U.S. Hwy. 90, Ste. A, Luling 985-331-1984 Fatty Shack 13527 River Road, Luling 985-308-0983 Frostop 3001 Ormond Blvd., Ste. H, Destrehan 985-725-1116 Grand Café 500 Willowdale Blvd., Luling 985-308-1640 Grumpy’s 14984 U.S. 90, Paradis 985-785-2083 Happy Gardens II 15264 U.S. 90, Paradis 985-785-3888 Hong Kong 3001 Ormond Blvd., Ste. D, Destrehan 985-725-9099
McDonalds 3009 Ormond Blvd., Destrehan 985-725-1021 Mizu Japanese Restaurant 12715 Hwy. 90, Ste. 190, Luling 985-785-8168 Mrs. Snowman 110A Lakewood Dr., Luling 985-331-1411 Ormond Plantation Restaurant 13786 River Road, Destrehan 985-764-8544 Palmetto’s Restaurant 10405 Airline Hwy, St. Rose 504-472-0771 Pam and Dale’s 14620 River Road, Destrehan 985-764-3112 Pizza Hut 12439 Hwy. 90, Luling 985-331-8380
P.J.’s Coffee of New Orleans 150 Ormond Center Court, Ste. T, Destrehan 985-764-7573
985-785-9818 (located inside Walmart) •13001 U.S. 90, Boutte 985-331-1786 •12715 U.S. 90, Ste. 120, Luling 985-785-3999 •12609 Airline Drive, Destrehan 985-725-1108 •1955 Ormond Blvd., Destrehan 985-725-9444 •15632 River Rd., Norco 504-469-8864 Sushi Cafe 13899 River Road, Ste. A, Luling 985-308-1003 Take Away Donuts 13441 Hwy. 90, Boutte 985-785-6499
Waffle House 10384 E. Airline Hwy., St. Rose 504-467-1522
St. Rose Driving Range & Sports Bar 10362 Airline Dr., St. Rose 504-466-0411 St. Rose Tavern 14466 River Rd, Destrehan 504-469-8864 /985-725-3133
Wingzzz 613 Paul Maillard Road, Ste. 400, Luling 985-308-0743
Sub Express 26 Apple St., Norco 985-764-9922 Subway •613 Paul Maillard Road, Ste. 200, Luling 985-331-2257 •14130 U.S. 90, Boutte
RIVER PARISHES MAGAZINE
Food 4 You: SMOKED CHICKEN WINGS Prep. Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Ready in: 2 hours & 10 minutes INGREDIENTS • 16 chicken wings, tips discarded • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup dry rub for chicken • 1 pound mesquite wood chips, soaked in water • 1 (8 ounce) bottle blue cheese salad dressing DIRECTIONS 1. Place chicken wings in a large bowl. Pour in olive oil; toss with hands until coated. Coat wings evenly with dry rub. 2. Light charcoal and heat smoker to 170 to 200 degrees F (77 to 93 degrees C) according to manufacturer’s instructions. 3. Drain wood chips and place half of them directly on the charcoal. Spread wings evenly on the cooking grate skin-side down. 4. Smoke wings until fragrant, about 1 hour. 5. Flip wings. Add remaining wood chips to the charcoal. Continue smoking until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 1 hour more. 6. Serve chicken wings with blue cheese dressing.
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Lutcher, LA