Louisiana is filled with innovators, creators and headline makers. In this issue, we’re celebrating the best of what’s new around the state in everything from food and fun to books and beats
Nestled among bayous, fields of sugar cane and cotton, and filled with historic properties, these small towns provide for outstanding getaway destinations
26
HOME
Nicki and Scott Sturgill blend vintage finds and elements of surprise in their early-1900s bungalow in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood
30
KITCHEN GOURMET
Eggplant has appeared on Louisianians plates since at least the 1800s and has earned a place in American cuisine due to its many uses and preparations
54
NATURAL STATE
At Avery Island fighting coastal erosion is as much of a daily activity as cultivating peppers
60
TRAVELER
In Arnaudville Maison Stéphanie combines culture, history and luxe accommodations in the Cecilia les Alentours Cultural District
62 FARTHER FLUNG
‘Slugburgers,’ nature, history and music typify time spent in Corinth and North Mississippi
64
PHOTO CONTEST
A barge traveling on the Mississippi River passes under the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge in St. Charles Parish.
Edwin Edwards liked to tell the story about when he first graduated from law school and was planning to establish a legal practice. Being from Marksville in Avoyelles Parish that town seemed like a natural, especially since it was the seat of government where there would no doubt be lots of legal work; however, on a visit to his sister’s house in Crowley he perused the local phone book there. To his surprise he noticed that there were hardly any lawyers in Crowley despite there being lots of industry, and money, because of oil and the rice business. So, the decision was made. He would set up shop in Crowley instead of Marksville.
There would be a twist to this story, however. As he prepared to open his new office, he discovered that there were lots more lawyers there than he realized. So, what happened? Upon further review he examined his sister’s phone book and noticed that several pages were missing — in the lawyer section. Torn pages had turned his career toward a different town.
Actually, the missing pages turned out to be fortuitous. Edwards was adept at establishing a political base beginning with being elected to the town council. Then there was a disaster. The district’s member of Congress, T.A. Thompson, was killed in an accident while driving home from Washington. That created a special election which was an opportunity for Edwards who was seen as the bright, new face in town. There were the people in the area who were willing to invest in Edwards.
His election to Congress gave him state recognition and lots of political contacts so that in 1972 when he decided to run for governor, he could have a formidable campaign leading to an upset win in the first of his four elections to the governorship.
Claire Lee Chennault led the country he was fighting for in defeating the Japanese in the air war. Surprisingly, that country was China and without his aerial combat skills Japan may have conquered the nation in 1937. Accordingly, the outcome of World War II, which was just beyond the horizon, may have been totally different. Guest: Author Richard P. Voorhies, Jr., a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.
Ferriday’s Jim Brown fell short of being elected governor but, despite some bumps, had an otherwise good political career. At various times he served as a state senator, secretary of state and insurance commissioner. He has lots of stories to tell but few that top his first days on the job in Ferriday as a newly installed lawyer. He rented an office space but couldn’t afford a secretary, so he just sat at the front desk and waited for a customer. The first one to come in one was a native young man with a penchant for singing and playing hard with pianos. His name was Jerry Lee Lewis. No telling what comes out of small towns. Imagine someone walking by the first time that Jim Brown and Jerry Lee Lewis met in that office. Who would have thought that from that inconspicuous setting two men would emerge — one a powerful politician, the other a defining performer from the rock and roll era. Like most small towns, including Crowley and Ferriday, the streets are usually quiet; but sometimes on the inside there is a whole lot of shaking going on.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of casino gambling being legitimized in Louisiana. Guest: Tyler Bridges, Pulitzerwinning journalist.
Our two feature stories explore the creativity of living in Louisiana. The cover is our annual exploration of the best of what is new in the state, or as we like to say in the office, “La Nouvelle Louisiane” and the other is about some of the best small towns. The Nouvelle feature includes the incredible story of a teenager from the Jefferson Parish town of Harvey who won the National Spelling Bee and who is in the Guinness Book of Records for her basketball skills. Curiously, yet another example of the stories that small towns can produce.
ERROL LABORDE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
When Jim Brown, a young attorney from Louisiana first met Edwin Edwards, who was in Congress at the time, the two men sat on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and talked about Louisiana politics and their ambitions. It was a fateful meeting. Edwards would go on to being elected governor four times; Brown would serve as secretary of state and insurance commissioner. Guest: Jim Brown
EDITORIAL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Errol Laborde
MANAGING EDITOR Melanie Warner Spencer
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ashley McLellan
COPY EDITOR Liz Clearman
WEB EDITOR Kelly Massicot
FOOD EDITOR Stanley Dry
HOME EDITOR Lee Cutrone
ART DIRECTOR Sarah George
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Danley Romero
SALES
SALES MANAGER Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 / (337) 235-7919 Ext. 7230
Rebecca@LouisianaLife.com
RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING
MARKETING
COORDINATOR Abbie Dugruise
PRODUCTION
DESIGNERS Rosa Balaguer, Meghan Rooney
CIRCULATION
SUBSCRIPTIONS Jessica Armand
DISTRIBUTION John Holzer
ADMINISTRATION
OFFICE MANAGER Mallary Wolfe
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Todd Matherne
For subscriptions call 877-221-3512
110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380
128 Demanade, Suite 104 Lafayette, LA 70503 (337) 235-7919 xt 7230
LouisianaLife.com
Louisiana Life (ISSN 1042-9980) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: One year $10; Mexico and Canada $48. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Louisiana Life, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005.
Copyright 2021 Louisiana Life. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Louisiana Life is registered. Louisiana Life is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Louisiana Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.
WRITER
Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer, photographer and author and owner of the whimsical blog, “Weird, Wacky & Wild South.” Her fiction includes two series of Louisiana romances and the “Viola Valentine” paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Coen remains passionate about her home state of Louisiana, believing that gumbo, crawfish étouffée and chicory coffee makes all things right with the world.
Jeffrey Roedel is a producer, director and journalist focused on Southern makers, artists and creative thought. A graduate of LSU and the University of Southern California’s Production Workshop, he’s the former editor of 225 in Baton Rouge. In 2020, he released a collection of mantras for creativity called “Life Is Gonna Try to Put a Lot of Polo Shirts on You.” His album of pandemic poetry and music called “Distance” was released in 2021.
A native of Lafayette currently residing in the Lake Charles area, Danley Romero specializes in portrait photography. Romero considers it an honor to contribute to his state’s flagship magazine, Louisiana Life, and takes a particular sense of pride in his association with its sister publication Acadiana Profile. Most gratifying are the experiences that collaborating with the two magazines afford: meeting and photographing many of Louisiana’s most talented, accomplished and interesting citizens — the people who help to make our state the wonder it is.
John R. Kemp writes about art for Louisiana Life, Acadiana Profile and New Orleans Magazine. He also has written and co-authored numerous books, including his most recent “Expressions of Place: The Contemporary Louisiana Landscape”; “New Orleans: The First Three Hundred Years”; and “A Unique Slant of Light: The Bicentennial History of Art in Louisiana.” For many years, Kemp covered the New Orleans art scene for the WYES New Orleans public television show, “Steppin’ Out.”
Liz Clearman is originally from Houston. She lives with her 13-yearold daughter and two cats and is a lawyer by degree, but hasn’t practiced in over 16 years. Instead, Clearman chooses to use her JD in the higher education realm. She spends her time these days social distancing, working at home, doing virtual boot camp in her living room, taking long walks with her daughter, and watching whatever new show pops up on Netflix.
Jeffrey Roedel WRITER
Chef Cory Bahr is bringing together growers and artisans from surrounding parishes to offer their produce, meat and handcrafted products on Thursdays for “Grow the Roe Farmers Market,” situated on a lot beside his Parish Restaurant in downtown Monroe. “We’re really excited about putting it together,” said Chef Bahr ( monroe-westmonroe.org ).
Teachers in six parishes have been trained to prepare students for a regional competition this fall that offers them a chance to compete for the opportunity to place an experiment aboard a space exploration flight next year. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program prepares students through myriad partnerships. The competition involves writing a scientific proposal for a micro-gravity experiment and competing nationally for a chance to carry out the mission on an International Space Station (Gemini or Space X).
Sample a global array of wines with cuddly sloths during selfguided walks around Barn Hill Preserve Sept. 3-4, 17-18 and Oct. 1. The nature sanctuary also showcases turtles, camels, bearded dragons, sugar gliders, giraffes, kangaroos and features one of the largest free-flying macaw rescue missions in the U.S. (barnhillpreserve.com).
Coastal Chemical Co. is spending $11.4 million consolidating several sites in Louisiana and Texas into one location in Maurice (near the intersection of LA 92 and Winfred Road). The company touts itself as one of the largest resellers of ExxonMobil lubricants in the U.S. The company plans to consolidate operations from its Abbeville distribution center and its Broussard center into the Maurice facility (coastalchem.com).
Allen Parish officials recently celebrated the opening of the new Allen Parish Cultural Center (12855 LA Hwy. 165). The ghost of Adam Fontenot greets visitors with early settler tales from the front porch of his home. Visitors can view a special exhibit on the culture of the Coushatta Tribe, explore a music room featuring famous Louisiana musicians and memorabilia, enjoy a vintage jukebox with 200 vinyl 45 records and explore a Louisiana swamp.
In Louisiana, we love to eat and celebrate, and no matter the season or time of year there’s always a special occasion to mark with food, family and friends. This 15-month calendar of Louisiana’s finest cooking highlights a recipe for each month, plus two bonus recipes to keep you cooking all year.
VISIT LOUSIANALIFE.COM TO ORDER
Ramadan Ramsey is born in New Orleans, the product of a magical love affair between his mother, a native New Orleanian, and his father, a Syrian immigrant. Ramsey has never known his father, who returned to his homeland unaware of the baby he left behind. Young Ramadan is raised with love by his mother and grandmother, and sets out on an adventure to discover both his ancestry and himself. His journey will take him from the Deep South to the Middle East on an epic quest. Author Louis Edwards is a Lake Charles native; he now lives and works in New Orleans, and is a Guggenheim Fellowship and Whiting Award-winner. “Ramadan Ramsey” is his fourth novel. Amistad, Hardcover, 400 pages, $27.99.
Saved by a
WRITING BY MARY GAUTHIER
Grammy-nominated songwriter Mary Gauthier peels back the covers to give readers an inside look at the poetic and healing process of songwriting; a process that has brought salvation, meaning and joy to her own life. After a decade of struggles with addiction, sobriety and performing became Gauthier’s lifelines to success, both in her career and in her personal life. In “Saved by a Song,” the Louisiana native describes her own journey, plus provides a roadmap to creating lasting songs that will inspire and motivate. Gauthier has been featured on NPR Weekend Edition, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Billboard, and CBS This Morning. St. Martin’s Essentials, Hardcover, 256 pages, $27.99.
BY VALERIE FRASER LUESSE
Set among the swamps of south Louisiana, author Valerie Fraser Luesse brings readers the story of Ellie Fields, a teacher who sets out from her Alabama home to teach in the tiny town of Bernadette. Although initially seen as an outsider, Ellie is soon embraced by the town, and a certain Cajun fisherman named Raphe. She and Raphe embark on an adventure to find and save a legendary white alligator, and find much more along the way. Baker Publishing Group, Hardcover, 352 pages, $29.99.
BY MAURICE CARLOS RUFFINS
Acclaimed New Orleans writer Maurice Carlos Ruffins brings readers an intimate look at the lives, conflicts, struggles and day-to-day reality of characters in the city he calls home. From a couple hitting rock bottom and turning to crime, to an army vet and a runaway teen finding unexpected companionship, to a young man working on the corners of the French Quarter, Ruffin’s latest is a rich, emotional deep dive into everyday people and the world they face each day. Ruffin’s novel “We Cast a Shadow” was a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist, and his work has been featured in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Kenyon Review, and The Massachusetts Review. One World, Hardcover, 192 pages, $26.
Even when it’s 17 below, one can only drink whiskey neat for so many days straight. On top of Mount Le Conte at 6,500 feet, Cliff Couvillon and two pals had befriended the winter caretaker of their cabin, an unlikely hero who proceeded to dig up a dusty bottle of bitters that dated back to the ‘70s, allowing the group to combine its five bottles of bourbon with copious amounts of Tang for what may have tasted like the best approximation of an Old Fashioned on the planet — if only to their lips on those few sub-zero nights.
“It was perfect because if we’d had liquid cocktail mixes, they’d have frozen for sure,” Couvillon says.
But what if these portable “Mountain Fashioned” cocktails Couvillon frigidly made on that Smoky Mountains trek five years ago could be even better? What if they could be wellthought out, researched, tested and perfected?
These were the questions that rattled around in Couvillon’s industrial designer brain as the trio descended from on high and returned to their routines in southern Louisiana.
Eight months later, with a dreamt-up name that sounds like a reliable, family-run Kennedy-era drugstore, Leisuremann’s Cocktail Mix launched with its flagship Old Fashioned.
Now offering nine mixes in both jars and single-serving packets, Leisuremann’s popularity rose with the pandemic as virtual happy hours took off and more couples became mixologists at home with bars closed.
“We don’t make the best cocktail,” says the 34-year-old. “We help you make best cocktail you can enjoy absolutely anywhere
Through years of research, kitchen trials (and yes, focus group taste-testing), Cliff and Michaella Couvillon have developed a suite of classic cocktail mixes.
Leisuremann’s seems tailor-made for Louisiana, where we love gathering to eat and drink outdoors. How has our lifestyle influenced the brand?
Our uniquely Louisiana ‘family, friend and fun” lifestyle has lent our brand and our mixes the ‘go where you go’ mantra — meaning that wherever you go or whatever you do, a simple and delicious cocktail is never far away.
Have you won over any traditionalists or even old school bartenders with your mixes? How do those conversations go? Talking to cocktail connoisseurs or old-school bartenders warms my heart, not just because we have a mutual love for cocktails or because they have so much knowledge, but because they are so damn skeptical of our mixes. Ninety-nine times out of 100, when they try it, we get a huge smile back and a ‘How did you do this?’
If you could hike with anyone famous, living or dead, where would you go, and which cocktail mix would you bring to share with them? Absolutely 100% it would be [artist] Bob Ross, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Dream Lake to be specific, with an Old Fashioned. The scene to follow would be one of happy tree bliss!
— whether that’s in the wilderness, in a kayak or in the backyard.”
Even on a mix as complex of a challenge as his Bloody Mary, Couvillon says simplicity remains the goal. Whether it’s a paloma, a margarita or a bee’s knees, Leisuremann’s offerings are mostly blends of cane sugar and a carefully tested ratio of natural flavors, with no preservatives or chemicals added.
“It’s cocktail drinking, a little magic and a lot of spreadsheets,” he says.
Couvillon has always been a dreamer and big-picture thinker but admits his wife Michaella keeps him grounded. The Lafayette duo are the only Leisureman employees, spending hours of trial and error, noting
flavor profiles and focus-grouping on each mix. Couvillon does all the packaging design and marketing himself, and it’s his education and experience in industrial design that has made him love the nitty gritty details of problem solving and refining something until every flaw is fixed.
After the first batch of Old Fashioned mix was released, Couvillon changed not only the packaging (from a metal tin that when opened precariously would “sugar bomb people”) but the blend as well.
He knew he could do better.
“Putting your heart and soul out there, and your finances on the line, it’s scary to try to grow,” Couvillon admits. “That means strategic decisions, timing and taking steps to not get burnt out personally. You want to remain enthusiastic and energized for this idea you believe in.”
The question of growth for the brand remains. Leisuremann’s is not available in grocery stores yet, but direct sales are strong.
“Michaella and I feel strongly that a retail presence is essential for us,” Couvillon says. “But letting customers try mixes before buying, and putting cocktail education at the forefront would feel right for our evolution, so we are looking at options for our own brick-and-mortar.”
With the original idea coming to him while camping up in the Smokys, Couvillon is intent on setting his sights for Leisuremann’s even higher than those elevated origins. Considering his brand’s Tang-inspired foundations, he notes that the orange, NASA-approved powdered beverage mix has been places he would love for Leisuremann’s to boldly go in the future
“I want to see astronauts enjoying Leisuremann’s on a spaceship one day,” he says. “Having Elon Musk put our mixes on the SpaceX would be the dream. Wouldn’t that be something?” n
Available in single-serving packets or jars, Couvillon’s Old Fashioned was his first to market and inspired by a hike with friends in the Smoky Mountains.
Is there music without sound? One only has to look at the paintings of New Orleans artist Kaori Maeyama to hear the pulsating rhythms and piano strides of Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas or the funky sounds of Dr. John and the cadent chants of The Wild Magnolias. Music seems to drift out from the dark shadows of Maeyama’s dimly lit landscapes of New Orleans streets at night.
Maeyama, born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan, fittingly describes her paintings as nocturnes. To capture these images, she and her husband drive through the city at night and, with her cell phone in hand, she takes blurry photographs of street scenes and reflections in her car windows while the car is in motion. What we see are not
specific locations but impressions of light emanating from darkness. These images serve as reference photographs for paintings back in her studio. As she says, her paintings give viewers obscured “glances” of the city at night.
Fittingly, it was music that brought Maeyama to New Orleans in 1994 as an international student at the University of New Orleans, or UNO, where she received a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking. She chose New Orleans because of its relatively low cost of living, warm climate and music.
“The main reason, though,” she says, “was the Wild Magnolias albums. I worked for an import-only record store in Fukuoka, and while I was considering going to college either in New Orleans or Atlanta in the spring of 1994, Polydor (British record company) re-released the
New Orleans artist Kaori Maeyama was drawn from Japan to the Crescent City based on her love of local music and is inspired by the area’s natural embrace of wabi-sabi
1974 Wild Magnolias album for the 20th anniversary. I had known about The Neville Brothers and Professor Longhair, but I had never heard of The Wild Magnolias until then. New Orleans seemed like the most interesting place in the U.S.”
After graduating from UNO, and acclimating to the “absurd amount of rain,” Maeyama worked for a time as a camera assistant, making short films and music videos. She also served as an audio editor and managing producer for the popular American Routes program aired nation-
wide on National Public Radio. There, Maeyama edited interviews with music legends Allen Toussaint, Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas and many others. She later went on to earn a master of fine arts degree at Tulane.
Like so many others, Hurricane Katrina changed her life. During the long recovery, she spent hours with local documentary filmmakers and listening to the lives of musicians and other local “culture bearers” such as the Black Masking Indians. With those voices embedded in her imagination, Maeyama wanted to create something to express her feelings about New Orleans. She took art classes with UNO professor Doyle Gertjejansen and studied plein air painting with Phil Sandusky at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, where she now teaches drawing and painting.
“At first,” she says, “I felt obligated to document the city in paintings because New Orleans was changing rapidly. After painting on the streets for six years, I could not help but inject my perspective in my work because I finally felt I really belonged to this place. I paint New Orleans because this is one of the few places where the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which appreciates beauty in the imperfect, is visible in everyday life.”
As her skills and interests progressed, Maeyama moved from the detailed realism of plein air painting to her more abstract and introspective nocturnal glances of New Orleans night landscapes without obvious visual references to
CAJUN
Universe of the Mind: Master Shen-Long
Features a contemporary master of classical Chinese poetry, painting, calligraphy and seal carving, through Jan. 22. Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, Lafayette. hilliardmuseum.org
CENTRAL
34th September Competition
Alexandria
Museum of Art. The museum's annual art competition, through Oct. 23. themuseum.org
PLANTATION
Our Louisiana
Artwork by Louisiana artists, through Jan. 14, 2024. Louisiana Art & Science Museum. lasm.org
NOLA Louisiana Contemporary 2021
Annual statewide juried contemporary art competition, through Oct. 10. Ogden Museum of Southern Art. ogdenmuseum.org
NORTH
Clyde Connell and Pat Sewell
Artwork by acclaimed north Louisiana artists
Clyde Connell and Pat Sewell, through December. Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, Shreveport. laexhibitmuseum.org
*Check museums for COVID-19 schedules.
any specific place in the city. They are emotional responses to the mundane and ordinary.
To paint her nocturnal cityscapes, Maeyama has developed an unusual method applying thin layers of paint on to large homemade wooden panels with printmakers’ brayers, or rollers, squeegees, scrapers, rags and her own fingers. Music is constantly playing in the background as she paints.
It works. Among a growing list of honors, she received a Joan Mitchell artist-in-residency fellowship in 2020. Maeyama’s nocturnes may seem quiet but, as she says, “they are full of noise and distortions with marks made quite violently.” That Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi is evident in all her work. The light radiating
from shadowy streets draws the viewer into a lonely and unsettling darkness.
“Everyone feels isolated at one time or another no matter who they are or where they are,” she says. “I strongly believe that finding beauty in the mundane and broken institutes an invaluable shift in perspective. The empathy for the others will grow by looking at the world through someone else’s eyes, and art lets you do that.”
Painting New Orleans, continues Maeyama, “has taught me that being different doesn’t mean strange or inferior.”n
1. CULINARY CALENDAR
This 15-month calendar of Louisiana’s finest cooking highlights a recipe for each month, plus two bonus recipes to keep you cooking all year. (louisianalife.com)
2. THE ESSENTIAL LOUISIANA SEAFOOD COOKBOOK
The easy-to-follow recipes emphasize Louisiana seafood and quality, local ingredients. (louisianalife.com)
3. THE ESSENTIAL NEW ORLEANS COOKBOOK
A book that is good for cookin’ and great for lookin’. (myneworleans.com)
4. GRANDMOTHER’S BUTTONS
For 36 years, Grandmother’s Buttons has created jewelry with antique buttons and vintage glass. Visit their flagship retail store and button museum in St. Francisville’s original 1905 bank building, or shop online at grandmothersbuttons.com. For more information, call 225-635-4107.
5. CAJUN TRINITY
“All Cajun dishes start with the Cajun Trinity! We make cooking easier, with a dehydrated trinity mix that comes back to life in 2 minutes. No Hassle, No Waste!”(C’est Tout Dried Trinity Products LLC. thisiscajun.com 678-758-5192)
BY LEE CUTRONE PHOTOS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
Houses have a way of finding their owners.
Artist Scott Sturgill and his wife, Nicki, a research analyst, weren’t looking for a house when a realtor cold-called them about a listing around the corner. After viewing the house online, the couple went to see it in person and made an offer on the property within hours.
“Within 20 minutes [of going to see the house], we were discussing where furniture would go,” says Scott.
According to Nicki’s research, their corner lot originally contained two separate buildings – a tiny store and a shotgun house, both built between 1900 and 1910. In the 1940s, the store was torn down and an addition made to the house, turning it into a single bungalow-style residence. Architectural features from the forties include wide, leaded glass windows with a pattern of interlocking circles, glass-front display cabinets, and seat-like window ledges that were an instant selling point as sunny perches for the Sturgills’ cats, Roch and Sylvie.
In 2009, previous owners gutted and renovated the house. When the Sturgills purchased it in 2018, kitchen, baths, floors, roof and foundation had all been renewed. The only things needed were cosmetic improvements such as paint and light fixtures.
Decorating the house proved as smooth a process as buying it. Husband and wife share an appreciation for midcentury modern designs, which they began collecting when they lived in Brooklyn, as well as a love of whimsical, offbeat finds that add fun and meaning to their surroundings. Moreover, the furnishings they already had fit well in the new house, with the exception
of a large sofa that moved with them over the years from various houses and apartments.
The couple brought cohesion to the open living room, dining room and kitchen by using a single wall color and adding pops of orange (Scott’s favorite color) and dusty turquoise, which is carried through to the rest of the house. In place of the former large sofa, they created a cozy conversation space comprised of a smaller sofa, a coffee table and a pair of chairs in the center of the living room.
The antique and midcentury furnishings are complemented by modern lighting, contemporary art, including works by Scott, and unusual pieces that speak to the Sturgills. The dining room’s French crawfish diagram was picked up at an antique map store in Brooklyn when the couple decided to move to New Orleans. A postcard rack found on eBay contains postcard mementos from the Sturgills’ travels. There are vintage Sputnik decanters, retro jewel tone vases, a framed image of an alien head (a quirky bit of street art from New York City), an old
ORIGINAL ARCHITECT
Unknown
INTERIOR DESIGN
Scott and Nicki Sturgill with assistance from Nadia Tarbah of ND Studio
SQUARE FOOTAGE
1,960
OUTSTANDING FEATURES
Original leaded glass windows with “shippo” interlocking circles pattern, original glass front display cabinets and fireplace, built-in bookshelves, deep seatlike window ledges
writer’s desk with extendable side shelves, and a functioning 1970s toaster among other objects. Because the Sturgill’s, who met and married in their hometown of Cincinnati, are members of Mardi Gras krewes, the display cabinets flanking the dining room window are used to house Mardi Gras throws and memorabilia.
“I love when people come over and you see them looking at the objects we have,” says Scott. “They’re a collection of our memories but we want to share that with other people. Most of the objects in our house have a story to them.”
“That was a conversation we had long ago,” says Nicki. “When we bought something, it would mean something.”
Recently, the couple added custom bookshelves designed by their friend and interior designer Nadia Tarbah of ND Studio to Nicki’s office. But small projects and updates aside, the house itself may have been the wisest and most meaningful purchase of all.
“We’ve never had a day of buyer’s remorse,” says Scott. ■
The living room mixes a modernist sofa with vintage chairs, coffee table and credenza. The cats prefer the window ledge. Floral artwork above door, by Scott Sturgill.
“Few foods can lay claim to causing insanity, acting as an aphrodisiac, and serving as a dental cosmetic. Eggplant, Solanum melongena, lays claim to all of the above and much more. Although most often considered a vegetable, eggplant is actually a fruit.” — The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink
2 long, thin Asian eggplants (about 4 oz. each)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional, if needed
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
TRIM stem ends of eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each crosswise. You will have 8 pieces. Cut a crosshatch pattern on each piece without puncturing the skin. Combine chopped garlic and parsley and press into the cuts.
One of the earliest Louisiana eggplant recipes ppeared in La Cuisine Creole, published in 1885. The book was written anonymously by Lafcadio Hearn, who feared that having his name attached to a cookbook would detract from his reputation as a serious journalist. His recipe calls for parboiling the eggplant, slicing it, dipping it in egg, then cracker meal and frying it in lard. He says the fried eggplant tastes like soft shell crabs.
BY STANLEY DRY PHOTOS AND STYLING BY EUGENIA UHLIn the popular mind, eggplant is most readily associated with Italian cuisine, but in American cooking its roots go back to Africa. A project at the University of South Carolina called American Heritage Vegetables has this to say: “Over the 19th century the eggplant insinuated itself into the taste of the Americans. At the
HEAT olive oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. Add eggplant, cut side down, and cook on medium heat until browned. Turn and cook briefly on other side, adding more olive oil, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.
Eggplant has appeared on Louisianians plates since at least the 1800s and has earned a place in American cuisine due to its many uses and preparations
beginning of the century, only white and Black southerners ate it readily, calling it Guinea Squash in token of its West African genesis. They tended to eat the West African way — battered and fried in fat.”
Frying is still a popular preparation, but since eggplant is such a versatile vegetable we can cook it in a variety of ways and serve it as an appetizer, a vegetable or a main course. We enjoy it in dishes as diverse as eggplant caviar, caponata, baba ghanoush, moussaka, ratatouille, eggplant dressing, eggplant parmigiana and eggplant stuffed with shrimp or ground meat. Eggplant has an affinity for tomatoes and garlic and is often combined with them.
The recipes this month are all quick and easy to prepare. The sandwiches are made of eggplant in place of bread, with fresh mozzarella as the filling. Serve them with a tomato sauce of your choosing and garnish with fresh basil. Long, thin Asian eggplants are split, scored and the cuts are filled with chopped garlic and parsley. They are then sautéed in olive oil. Fried eggplant gets a bracing addition of anchovies and capers. The gratin is composed of fried eggplant and Parmesan with a topping of breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and olive oil.
And what about Lafcadio Hearn’s fried eggplant that tasted like soft shell crabs? Well, I prepared it according to his directions, omitting the parboiling, and frying it in vegetable oil rather than lard. While it would be a stretch to say that it tasted like soft shell crabs, there was a textural similarity. The eggplant was crunchy on the outside, creamy within and entirely delicious. I plan to make it again. n
Olive or vegetable oil
1 large purple eggplant
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
anchovies
capers
2 teaspoons chopped parsley lemon wedges
IN A LARGE SKILLET, add about 1/3 inch oil and heat until oil shimmers.
CUT eggplant into ½-inch slices. Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Fry, in batches, until browned on one side, then turn and brown other side. Drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with anchovies, capers, chopped parsley and lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.
1 large purple eggplant, about 1 pound
extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley ¼ cup breadcrumbs
TRIM ends of eggplant. Cut lengthwise into thin slices. Lightly oil a large cast iron skillet and an 8-inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 F.
PLACE skillet over medium-high heat and add enough eggplant to cover the bottom. Cook until browned, then turn and brown the other side. Transfer eggplant to baking dish, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with some of the Parmesan. Repeat with remaining eggplant until all are cooked, adding a little oil to skillet, as needed. Layer eggplant in baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Combine garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until top is browned, about 15 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
1 large purple eggplant
extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh mozzarella
tomato sauce
fresh basil
PREHEAT broiler. Cut eggplant into ½-inch slices and place on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until browned, then turn and broil other side.
PLACE a slice of mozzarella on half of the eggplant slices. Cover with the remaining eggplant slices to form a sandwich. Return to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Serve with tomato sauce and garnish with fresh basil. Makes 4 or more servings.
“Eggplant, as it is known in America and was once known in Britain, is so named because the earliest variety to arrive in England in the 16th century was small and white, similar to a hen’s egg. Today, eggplant is available in countless shapes and colors.” — The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink
Nothing stops the innovators, trailblazers and entrepreneurs of Louisiana. Last year may have taken the wind out of our sails with hurricanes, freezes and a worldwide pandemic, but the Bayou State never faltered in producing new and interesting products, culinary offerings and unique ways to enjoy Louisiana. Here’s what happening these days with the remarkable people who call Louisiana home and the exciting ideas and products they produce. We’re excited to shine a light on their successes with our annual La Nouvelle Louisiane 2021.
The massive building at the corner of Magazine and Race once housed orphans, thanks to the generosity of philanthropist Margaret Haughery. Today, the 1861 building houses visitors as Hotel St. Vincent. The boutique hotel offers 75 elegant guest rooms, a courtyard with pool, San Lorenzo restaurant serving coastal Italian specialties, the Paradise Lounge and Elizabeth Street Café. Guests will be reminded of the building’s storied past at the guests-only Chapel Club, once the orphanage chapel. saintvincentnola.com
BATON ROUGE
The Cook Hotel offers guests a boutique hotel experience on the LSU campus and its recent multi-million-dollar renovation earned it a place on Southern Living’s “Best Southern Hotels in SEC College Towns in 2020.” thecookhotel.com
Monroe-West Monroe solicited sponsors and artists to decorate heron sculptures around town and the response was enormous. There is now a scattering of 87 sculptures throughout the twin cities, with the styles varied and unique. The money raised in partnership with the Downtown Arts Alliance flows back into the community through arts programs. heronsonthebayou.com
COVINGTON You’ve seen them wandering the streets of the French Quarter, but now the mule-drawn historical carriage tours of New Orleans are available on the Northshore. neworleanscarriages.com/ tours/historic-downtowncovington-tour
BATON ROUGE Drive the backgrounds of our state and you’ll find diverse landscapes, people, food and culture. It’s why Louisiana tourism created the Trails and Byways program, offering several road trips — Myths and Legends, the Great River Road and Zydeco Cajun Prairie, to name a few — dedicated to unique Louisiana history and culture. byways.louisianatravel.com
STATEWIDE Our state parks offer cabins, RV and tent sites and primitive camping. Now visitors can enjoy glamping, a mix between sleeping on the ground and the luxuries of a full cabin. lastateparks.com/ glamping
It has been a year of staycations, which bodes well for Louisiana, one of the finest states to visit, even if it’s home.
After years of preparation and a relocation from its home base in Utica, Mississippi, this latest New Orleans museum opened in May, showcasing the unique attributes and contributions of Southern Jews as well as the impact of Southern culture on Jewish life. Permanent and changing exhibits — an expansion from its original Mississippi museum — cover 9,000 square feet on two floors of the museum’s Howard Avenue building, plus the museum plans to offer special events throughout the year. The grand celebration was slated for this fall, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. It’s currently open Wednesdays through Mondays. msje.org
NEW ORLEANS It wasn’t just kids who were smiling this summer when Carousel Gardens reopened in City Park. In addition to those fun 18 rides and the historic Wooden Carousel, the park features two cafés. neworleanscitypark.com/inthe-park/carousel-gardens
NEW ORLEANS Forget Shark Week. Visitors can now get their shark fill every day at the new 13,000-gallon touchpool with numerous shark and ray species, plus a massive interactive LED screen. audubonnatureinstitute.org/ aquarium
VIVIAN The Vivian Railroad Station Museum tells the history of the town named for the founder’s daughter, Vivian. It reopened this year with new exhibits, part of north Louisiana’s Boom or Bust Byway. shreveportbossier.org/listing/ vivian-railroad-stationmuseum/901/
Ben Herrera, owner of Calla and 121 Artisan Bistro, opened The James 710 in April, an upscale casual restaurant in Lake Charles garnering rave reviews. The innovative menu and unique atmosphere brings “a new flair of dining to the area, something we all need after this past year,” said Kathryn Shea Duncan, media relations manager of Visit Lake Charles. The restaurant is named for Herrera’s grandfather James with the interior décor a nod to Herrera’s Colorado roots. Visitors can nosh on modern American dishes with Asian and Latin influences and sip craft cocktails inside the uniquely designed building or on the expanded patio. “Everything we do has a little twist on traditional dishes,” Herrera said. thejames710.com
LAKE CHARLES Chef Andrew Green opened Fire & Oak in February in Lake Charles’s Oak Crossing business park. Sit inside or enjoy the outside patio draped in lights for fine dining and craft cocktails. facebook.com/ fireandoakLakeCharles
WEST MONROE Tracy and Kristi Carter turned their love of barbecue into award-winning sauces, seasonings and JAC’s Tailgaters food truck. Last year, the couple opened West Monroe’s first smokehouse restaurant. jacscraftsmokehouse.com
MADISONVILLE Dock your boat on the Tchefuncte River and choose between the casual Anchor restaurant downstairs or delicious fine dining at Tchefuncte’s upstairs, both helmed by Chef Michael Gottlieb. tchefunctes.com
Louisiana continues to serve up innovative culinary delights and we’ve got several new restaurants throughout the state to prove it.
SHREVEPORT
Word got out fast when Dripp Donuts food truck hit the streets. They serve up craft sourdough donuts with fun flavors like white chocolate macadamia, candied bacon, salted lime, Oreo cheesecake and more. These are homemade creations, thicker and richer than your typical glazed donut, which has folks in Shreveport talking. “It seems like they were the new kids on the food block one day, and the next day, they were dominating social media,” said Shalisa Roland, public relations and digital content manager for Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. “They’re truly scrumptious.” Follow them on Facebook for locations. drippdonuts.com
LAFAYETTE This newcomer to the Lafayette culinary scene — located near the University of Louisiana campus — offers a unique take on contemporary Parisian fare, such as vichyssoise, duck confit and blanquette de veau. janesfrenchcuisine.com
In early 2020, the world went into lockdown and Toups’ Meatery was forced to close, but the pandemic didn’t stop chef-owner Isaac Toups from working. He offered meals to restaurant and service industry workers, creating dishes from whatever he had on hand, pulling together meals from assortments of odd ingredients. “It was like an episode of ‘Top Chef,’” Toups said with a laugh. Word spread of his generosity and by the height of the pandemic Toups was serving 500 meals a day. It all happened through volunteers, donations and crowdfunding. “There is no back to normal,” Toups said, but that doesn’t mean he’s not at the ready for the next problem. “What happens next? That depends on what is needed for me next.”
toupsmeatery.com
SHREVEPORT Chef Jon Ortiz serves up handmade noodles and broth at this main food truck of the Lot, a former bus station that’s now a hip entertainment venue in downtown Shreveport. facebook.com/GhostRamen-105425038089694
DENHAM SPRINGS Located at Le Chien Brewing Company, Pie Eyed Food Truck serves savory and sweet handmade pies filled with goodness. Check out their specialty pies such as chicken pot pie and cheeseburger. facebook.com/ pieeyedhandpies
RIVER PARISHES
Travel upriver from New Orleans through the “River Parishes” and you’ll find plantations, quaint towns and andouille. Which is why the region’s tourism arm created this unique culinary byway to celebrate the beloved product that’s used repeatedly in Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole cuisine. There are 37 sites to visit along the trail, from St. Rose to Convent, with a host of great eating in between. Visitors may even enjoy Spuddy’s Cajun Cooking Experience to learn how to use andouille back home, in addition to sampling some of Maitland “Spuddy” Faucheux’s andouille specialties. andouilletrail.com
WESTERN LOUISIANA The Gas Station Eats trail of “No Man’s Land,” the region situated on the western edge of Louisiana, highlights culinary delights in roadside stops such as gas stations, convenience stores and casual eateries. visitnomansland.com/ plan-your-trip/gas-station-eats
HOUMA/THIBODAUX “Wander off the Eatin’ Path” is how tourism encourages folks to sample the trail’s culinary specialties. In addition to city restaurants, there’s a host of great eating in smaller Cajun communities. lacajunbayou.com/foodtrail
Michael Frugé grows rice for a living — the fourth generation to do so — but he uses his crops for more than a base for étouffée. Frugé makes a smooth vodka from rice, what he calls “farm to bottle, grain to glass,” and it’s been winning awards ever since he started. jtmeleck.net
NEW ORLEANS Who’d have thought New Orleans would have its own sake brewery, but why not? Consider how much rice we produce. Wetlands makes both traditional sakes and sparkling versions with flavors. wetlandssake.com
BATON ROUGE
Baton Rouge neighbors Justin Meyers and Caleb Schlamp love to make beer, and last year the home brewers decided to move that passion up a notch, opening Cypress Coast Brewing on Government Street in the Mid-City neighborhood. They offer a rotating tap, which means visitors can drink a Belgium brew one day, a hazy IPA another.
“We started as home brewers so we don’t do anything consistently,” Meyers said. Since opening in September 2020, the taproom has become a neighborhood hangout, with food trucks on Sundays. Meyers hopes the future will include more events, such as trivia night and hosting live performances.
cypresscoastbrewing.com
ST. GABRIEL Sugar Farms offers a bit of everything — a restaurant, drive-in theater, art gallery and yes, a brewery. Enjoy farm-to-glass micro brews in the taproom and grab a pizza in the process. sugarfarmsla.com
SHREVEPORT The Seventh Tap is Shreveport’s newest craft brewery, created by three friends who decided to take their home brewing expertise to the next level. They opened their fun taproom in June. theseventhtap.com
DENHAM SPRINGS Feel free to bring the pooch to this new brewery, which serves up caninethemed craft beers, music performances, trivia nights and food three days a week in downtown Denham Springs. lechien.beer
NEW ORLEANS Enjoy a variety of craft brews made on-site from five tanks while viewing artwork from local artists. The full-service restaurant serves up gastropub, Cajun and Vietnamese cuisine. bywaterbrewpub.com
ARNAUDVILLE
This Acadiana nature preserve and eco-education campus aimed at inspiring people to steward the natural environment is inching closer toward federal nonprofit status; they filed articles of incorporation this summer and are busy collecting grants. Be sure to visit for the annual Halloween Nature and Art Festival on Oct. 30, a family friendly event that offers science education with a Halloween bent. This year’s theme is “Plants vs. Zombies.” atelierdelanature.org
NEW ORLEANS New Orleans cemeteries with their exquisite architecture need constant upkeep like other buildings. The lovely St. Michael Chapel in St. Roch Cemetery No. 2 required elaborate restoration and reopens this year. nolacatholiccemeteries.org
BREAUX BRIDGE TCA began in 2014 in a 1940s-era movie theater in downtown Breaux Bridge and has been gaining steam even since, bringing a wide variety of arts to the heart of Acadiana. artsatteche.com
We can’t spell half the words that National Spelling Bee champion Zaila Avantgarde conquered in the recent Scripps National Spelling Bee. The 14-year-old from Harvey not only spelled “murraya” correctly to become the first African American winner in the 93-year history of the competition, but she’s also in the Guinness World Records for basketball dribbling and juggling multiple balls. We’re so enamored with this young lady, we can’t wait to see what’s next for this little ball of fire.
NEW ORLEANS Jon Batiste’s latest single and video, “Freedom,” showcases New Orleans at its finest and gives us a lift we so desperately need. We can’t stop watching it. jonbatiste.com
Our people continue to make us proud, whether in-state doing great works or out in the world representing the Bayou State.
This Louisiana native has been steadily climbing the charts. Her books have topped the USA Today bestselling list, and “The Boyfriend Project,” a contemporary romance about three women and the lousy boyfriend who cheats on them, was listed as Best Book of the Year from NPR, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed and others. Oprah Magazine named it one of the “MustRead Black Romance Novels” of 2020. Look for Farrah’s latest, “The Dating Playbook.” farrahrochon.com
LAFAYETTE The prolific designer, illustrator and author publishes her award-winning mythical children’s book, “Moonsong,” this fall, and was appointed official artist for the 2021 Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (which was rescheduled for spring 2022). denisegallagher.com
LAFAYETTE Gould photographed the first edition and cover of Louisiana Life and has published numerous books since. His latest stunning photo tome is “Bridging the Mississippi: Spans across the Father of Waters.” philipgould.com
NEW ORLEANS Fry offers a unique glimpse into the people of the Mississippi River batture in his latest book, “They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans.” upress.state.ms.us/Books/T/ They-Called-Us-River-Rats
We applaud our southwestern city for its perseverance and resurgence after a trifecta of weather disasters. Hotels and restaurants have reopened, events have returned — all during a pandemic, no less. It’s still a long road to recovery and we encourage readers to keep up the support.
visitlakecharles.org
TAKE A ROAD TRIP through Louisiana and visitors will find the most charming small towns scattered throughout the Bayou State. Nestled among bayous, fields of sugar cane and cotton, and filled with historic properties, these small towns provide for outstanding getaway destinations. Whether for a weekend, a festival or a prolonged relaxing vacation, these five charming towns are sure to delight.
The oldest town in Louisiana continues to be one of the hottest for small-town tourism. Founded in 1714 by the French near a Natchitoches Native American settlement and close to the Spanish capital of Texas, this town has a wealth of culture and history.
Much of its charm lies on Front Street, a cobblestone-lined thoroughfare stretching a few blocks along Cane River, an abandoned section of the Red River that’s actually a lake. Quaint shops, the Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile, the oldest general store in the state, and a host of restaurants attract visitors annually to this area of town. If visitors want to get on Cane River, there are paddling opportunities and the Cane River Queen River Boat.
But the National Historic Landmark District encompasses 33 blocks so there’s much to see and do throughout town, including the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site and the American Cemetery, made famous in the film “Steel Magnolias.” A stay at the romantic Samuel Guy House Bed and Breakfast puts visitors right next to the historic cemetery and many of the “Steel Magnolias” sites. For a tour of it all, the Cane River Carriage Company has horse-drawn rides.
There are plenty of places to dine in Natchitoches but Kelli M. West, marketing and communications director at the Natchitoches Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, recommends Mariner’s Restaurant on nearby Sibley Lake. Ben and Keri Fidelak purchased the landmark establishment last year and revamped the property, offering seafood dishes, specialty drinks on the outside dock and s’mores toasting on the fire pits.
“It has the best sunset view in Natchitoches,” West said.
Upcoming festivals include the parish fair, Meat Pie Festival in September, the October Folk Art Festival at Melrose Plantation and, of course, the enormous festivities at Christmas.
A stay at the romantic Samuel Guy House Bed and Breakfast puts visitors next to Natchitoches’ historic cemetery and many of the “Steel Magnolias” sites.
Stroll through the historic district of St. Francisville, among its historic buildings sporting boutique shopping and dining, or alongside homes dating back to the Civil War, and you’ll swear you’ve entered another century.
Check into the renovated St. Francisville Inn, located in the heart of town and serving up fine dining and craft cocktails in a Victorian landmark. Or travel back to 1938 at the 3V Tourist Courts, original motor court cabins but with all the niceties of modern life. Next door, the popular Magnolia Café serves up regional favorites such as catfish, poor boys and fried alligator bites.
Some shops combine history into their products. Grandmother’s Buttons turns antique buttons and other unique items such as vintage glass into heirloom jewelry pieces, all within an historic bank building. Conundrum Books sells stories, as well as gift items, in a converted car garage.
Surrounding St. Francisville lies more fascinating history, outdoors adventures and unusual attractions. There are six plantation homes open to the public with guided tours, including the Audubon State Historic Site/Oakley Plantation where naturalist and artist John James Audubon began his famous “The Birds of America” series. There’s also the haunted Myrtles Plantation, offering both accommodations and dining and the annual Halloween Experience every weekend in October.
Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge contains a rare bald cypress tree with the title of the largest tree in North America east of the California redwoods. Clark Creek trail sports rare waterfalls and hills for hikers. And for something really different, head up to Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary for its annual rodeo held every Sunday in October.
New this year is the inaugural John James Audubon International Symposium Sept. 17-18 at the Audubon State Historic Site/ Oakley Plantation. And don’t miss the annual Christmas in the Country celebration the first full weekend in December, with its small-town parade, tour of homes and a Jane Austen Christmas at Oakley Plantation.
PATRICE MELNICK MOVED TO Grand Coteau while on sabbatical from Xavier University in 2001. The English professor was searching for a quiet, yet affordable place to write.
“I appreciated the people I had met there, found them kind and welcoming,” she said.
So, when Hurricane Katrina roared through New Orleans in 2005, Melnick thought of Grand Coteau as not only a place to relocate to, but to also start a new life. She opened Casa Azul, a shop offering gift items from around the world, in the heart of the historic town.
Her shop has since closed, but Melnick has grown long roots in her new home, operating Casita Azul Bed and Breakfast and founding the Festival of Words literary festival, held each November.
“I love Grand Coteau because it is rural, green and a lovely place for walks beneath the live oaks and pine trees,” she said. “But it is only 20 minutes from the culture of Lafayette with great music venues, restaurants, and festivals. I also enjoy the rich history of the people who have roots in Africa, Canada, France and many European countries.”
Grand Coteau is small, with only a few blocks of shops and restaurants, but it exudes a great deal of charm. Its quaint stretch of businesses face the Jesuit Spirituality Center, where many come for reflection and restoration. Its small streets fill up with visitors at popular festivals such as the Sweet Dough Pie Festival, the Holy Ghost Creole Festival and Grand Noel with its carriage rides, carolers and life-sized nativity scene held the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
YEARS AGO, WHEN NEW Orleans residents grew tired of city life, they traversed the Causeway — then a one-lane bridge — to visit the “country.” Long noted
for its fresh air, pine trees and Lake Pontchartrain views, Mandeville was the ideal getaway town.
The Northshore has grown exponentially but
Mandeville retains its smalltown charm, with numerous historic homes, restaurants serving fabulous fresh seafood, lakeside parks and unbridled opportunities to enjoy outdoors activities.
“There are tons of bed and
breakfasts,” said Christina Cooper, vice president of communications, marketing and public relations for the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission. She listed Guesthouse on Girod, the
Blue Heron, About Trace and de la Bleau as just a few.
Shopping runs the gamut on Girod Street from boutiques to antiques and restaurants are equally plentiful, Cooper explained. There’s breakfast at LaLou or
In 18th-century Germany, during a time of societal restructuring, a group of separatists from the Lutheran Church began the Harmony Society. The German government persecuted these nonconformists so many immigrated to America to form utopian settlements. One of these was outside Minden, Louisiana.
Bernhard Müller, the self-proclaimed “Count de Leon,” believed that the land 32 miles east of Shreveport would be ideal for the Second Coming of Christ, one of the religious ideals of the Harmony Society. Müller contracted yellow fever en route and never saw the establishment of the Claiborne Parish town in 1835, but the town flourished.
“It was one of the most successful of the Harmony Society,” said Jonhnnye Kennon, administrative assistant at Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission.
At the same time, another German, Charles Veeder, built an inn on Bayou Dorcheat and created a town he called Minden, after his home in Germany.
Today, visitors to Minden can view the Germantown Colony Museum, which contains remnants of that early utopian society which disbanded in 1871, and the Dorcheat Historical Museum, which highlights the history of Minden and Webster Parish.
The town itself contains a historical residential district of 71 properties dating back to the 1850s. Downtown Minden offers delightful brick-lined streets, antique shops, boutiques and places to dine along Main Street. For a real trip back in time, enjoy a night or two at the historic Huffman House bed and breakfast, a 5,100-square-foot Queen Anne Revival home built in 1918 within the Minden Historic District.
Now that gathering restrictions have eased, the annual fall festivals are scheduled to return and if so, this year promises to be chock full of fun, Kennon said. Main to Main Trade Days covering 50 miles of yard sales from Sibley to Springhill takes place the first Friday and Saturday in November. Minden is one of the many towns on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights with a Christmas parade and other holiday events.
“We have a lot of fun starting in the fall,” Kennon said.
Liz’s Where Y’at Diner, lunch at Girod Street Market and Deli, sweets at The Candy Bank and lakeside dining at The Lakehouse or the new Pat’s Rest Awhile, to name a few. Enjoy a java break at The Book & The Bean coffee shop
with locally roasted Flamjeaux coffee or a cool brew at Old Rail Brewing Company.
The Tammany Trace bike path runs through Mandeville so visitors can enjoy a ride about town, head to Fontainebleau State
Park for a host of activities at the 2,800-acre park along Lake Pontchartrain or bike the long stretch to the Covington trailhead. Paddlers can enjoy the lake or nearby bayous.
It’s back to the outdoors this fall, whether you’re traipsing through shady forests, kayaking across still bayous, or enjoying lively performances and delicious foods at a fall fair or festival.
EEverybody welcomes the cooler temperatures of a Louisiana fall and the thrill of an adventure to a new destination. Check your calendar now and circle a week or weekend for exploring another part of the state—from the backroads of small towns and rural parishes to the arts stalls and stages of a city event. Louisiana’s variety of destinations offer something for everyone, for children who love to roam to retirees looking to par a new golf course. From a short hour’s drive to a cross-state jaunt, your Louisiana road trip awaits.
Whether it is football you crave, high-speed drag racing, historic plantation homes, scenic views of the Mighty Mississippi or
a fun festival, West Baton Rouge Parish has it all.
While in Port Allen, visit the West Baton Rouge Museum and view its current exhibit, Evangeline: Evolution of an Icon, which provides a glimpse into the famous Longfellow character and her evolving status as a legend and heroine to a brand image and celebrity and cultural icon, inspiring writers, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Stroll the museum’s six-acre grounds, visiting its historic buildings and learning about life on a sugarcane plantation.
Get a taste of the area’s hometown cooking at one of the parish’s unique restaurants offering a rich palette of flavors refined by generations of area families. Stay at one of the many moderately priced, family-friendly accommodations, conveniently
located off I-10, while attending one of the area’s many fall festivals.
Visit WestBatonRouge.net for details and event dates, or stop in and delight in a cup of West Baton Rouge Parish’s locally roasted coffee at Exit #151.
Explore beautiful outdoor Avoyelles Parish and experience the wonders of Louisiana’s landscapes in a socially distant and health-conscious way. Whether you’re looking for a little exercise or just wanting to relax, Avoyelles Parish offers shimmering waterways like Tour de Spring Bayou perfect for kayaking, birding, and fishing. Pack your picnic—or your takeout—and enjoy the transition into fall while you munch on delicious Louisiana fare at one of the parish’s nearby parks.
Walking trails will get your feet moving, while you take in the sights and sounds
of Avoyelles’ flora and fauna. Enjoy the Solomon Northup Trail that leads from Alexandria or the Tunica Biloxi Nature Trail, or learn about and imagine the Civil War battle that took place at Yellow Bayou Memorial Park. If you’re looking to hit the links, Tamahka Trail Golf Club offers one of the premier courses in Louisiana while Bayhills Golf Course offers nine holes of fun.
For more ideas and destinations, visit TravelAvoyelles.com.
An easy drive from anywhere in the state, Pointe Coupée Parish offers a tucked-away escape and illuminating window into Louisiana’s rich history along the Mississippi River. Celebrating 300 years of history, the parish’s tricentennial offers tribute to the arrival of those who permanently settled Pointe Coupée, but its attractions and legacy date much farther back—Pointe Coupee is home to 10 earthen American Indian mounds built between 700 and 1200 AD.
Take a drive down beautiful country roads lined with sugarcane and enjoy Pointe Coupée’s historical charm and open-air offerings. A live oak tree walking tour, bike tour, kayaking, SUP boarding, weekly fishing tournaments, hunting, and camping are activities that draw outdoors enthusiasts to the area, while 30 historical homes and the Old River Controls Structure offer a glimpse into the past.
This fall, Pointe Coupée hosts the River Roux Olympic Triathlon and Morganza Farm Day on October 9 and the popular annual Harvest Festival in New Roads, which features a variety of unique arts, crafts, and food vendors, October 15-17. For more information, events, and destinations, visit pctourism.org or call 225-638-3998.
Your next outdoor adventure is closer than you think—in Alexandria/Pineville, a robust sportsman’s culture is nurtured by outdoor opportunities in the area including two beautiful and challenging golf courses and scenic Lake Buhlow in Pineville.
Explore the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of Kisatchie National Forest, one of the largest pieces of natural landscape in Louisiana and the only national forest in the state, filled with vital longleaf pine and flatwoods vegetation supporting rare plant and animal species. Located within Kisatchie National Forest are scenic areas ideal for bird watching, photography, backpacking, canoeing, all-terrain vehicle trails, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, picnicking and swimming. The forest has more than 40 developed recreation sites such as Kincaid Lake Campground, a modern, forested paradise, complete with a fishing pier, swimming area, and boat launch.
Plan your outdoor adventure today at alexandriapinevillela.com.
Since 1906, the State Fair of Louisiana in Shreveport has provided a place for families from all over Louisiana to leave their troubles behind and enjoy quality time together. Running October 28November 14, the 115th State Fair of Louisiana will feature 50+ stateof-the-art carnival rides, live music every night, over a dozen live shows and attractions, and over 75 of the top state fair food vendors in the country.
Every year, hundreds of 4-H and FFA members from across Louisiana join in and compete in the largest livestock show in Louisiana. The Jr. Livestock Sale takes place on November 3. The State Fair is also home of the LRCA Finals Rodeo, which takes place in the historical Hirsch Memorial Coliseum November 5-7. Over $150,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.
On November 14, the State Fair celebrates veterans and military families and offers free parking and gate admission to all active, retired, and former military members and their families. A Veterans parade on the midway begins at 2 p.m. For more information, visit StateFairOfLouisiana.com.
Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, the Red River Revel Arts Festival returns October 2-10, 2021. The Red River Revel Arts Festival is the largest outdoor festival in North Louisiana, attracting tens of thousands of locals and visitors to “Celebrate the Arts” together. The Red River Revel Arts Festival brings an extensive array of exciting and unique experiences to the Shreveport Riverfront. This multiaward winning festival features more than 75 juried visual artists from across the country, over 40 musical, theatrical, and performing arts entertainers on two stages, over 20 vendors serving delicious food, and an area dedicated to introducing children to the arts.
There is something for everyone at the Red River Revel Arts Festival. Come “celebrate the arts” with friends and family at the 45th Red River Revel Arts Festival. For more information, please visit redriverrevel.com.
On either side of the boat stretches the vast wetlands of south Louisiana. Farther south, several miles beyond this ruler-flat landscape, lie Vermilion and West Cote Blanche bays — and beyond, the Gulf. Three hours of such uniformity, coupled with summer heat, inspires drowsiness. Then everything changes.
At the helm, Heath Romero steers us into a new passage, and in the distance rise, improbably, two hills. “Those are the salt domes of Weeks and Avery islands,” he says. They are, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the highest elevated points along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, with one marker at Avery Island registering 165 feet above mean sea level.
The unlikely sight gives Charlotte Leavitt comfort. “When I see the domes,” she says, “I know I’m home.” Leavitt attends Clark University in Massachusetts
Preserving and Protecting
At Avery Island fighting coastal erosion is as much of a daily activity as cultivating peppersSTORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN RABALAIS
Besides providing home to six hundred varieties of plants, including a wide range of camellias and azaleas, and hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds, the Jungle Gardens on Avery Island offer a safe haven to white-tailed deer, alligators, nutria, racoons, bobcats, and other wildlife.
and has returned to “the island,” in local parlance, to work in the McIlhenny Summer Program. On another day, she might don personal protective equipment to handle the pepper mash that will age into Tabasco sauce, Louisiana’s iconic culinary export, but today, she and four others — Addison Duhon, Pipes Fitz-Hugh, Felix Osborn and Dreyke Thibodeaux — have set out with Romero to wade waist-deep in mud so they can plant smooth cordgrass to protect the island and its multimillion-dollar annual industry.
Romero, the land manager at Avery Island, oversees such planting several times each year. In the 1980s, he and his uncle began planting trees and grasses after oil companies dredged in the marsh. That initial planting has reclaimed as much as 80 yards, but such work never ends. “Every time there’s a storm,” he says, “you have to start all over again.”
With boots propped on the boat rail, Romero watches today’s group pull clumps of cordgrass — stalks resem-
• Avery Island is a 2,200-acre salt dome surrounded by salt marsh, cypress swamp, and bayous. Its elevation (165 feet above mean sea level) supports habitats not found in surrounding marshes, swamps and prairies.
• Founded in 1868, the McIlhenny Company now employs more than 200 workers, many who live on the island. In 1905, after construction of a second Tabasco factory on Avery Island, a village was constructed to house workers. That village, which originally included a dancehall, has become known as the Tango.
In an effort to fight coastal erosion, McIlhenny Summer Program workers Felix Osborn, Charlotte Leavitt, Dreyke Thibodeaux, Pipes Fitz-Hugh, and Addison Duhon transplant smooth cordgrass to protect Avery Island.
• On average, Avery Island’s Tabasco factory produces 750,000 of bottles of hot sauce each workday which are shipped to nearly 200 countries.
FLORA
Comprised of 170 acres, the semitropical Jungle Gardens at Avery Island include timber bamboo, holly shrubs, and live oaks. It boasts the largest collection of camellias in the nation.
FAUNA
Black bears, alligators, otters, deer, bobcats, coyotes
bling six-foot tall spring onions — from the bank and transplant it 20 yards from the shore. Within a year, perhaps two, sediment will fill this gap, widening the shoreline and strengthening protection in a place that each year grows more precarious.
“I don’t ever remember it big like last season,” Romero says. “From St. Mary to Cameron [parishes], everything got ripped up. The storms pulled up the marsh like AstroTurf. I found rolls of it 20 feet high.” Those storms replaced marsh with open water —“lakes and ponds,” Romero says — further heightening the island’s vulnerability. Comparing planting grass to patching holes in a dam, he says that he’s tried fences, sinking Christmas trees and placing HESCO baskets on the shore. “Nothing works. Rocks work,” he says, but then notes that they’re prohibitively expensive. “For now, there’s nothing to break the waves. Once storm water gets into the marsh, there’s no way to slow it down.”
From the boat, Romero watches Osborn splash backwards toward the bank to unearth more cordgrass. “You move like a crawfish,” Romero says. For several
peppers and then turn them into mash, which ages for three years in white oak barrels that are sealed with salt excavated from the island.
minutes, he’s also been monitoring an eight-foot alligator. Now it’s time to decide. “Y’all get back in the boat,” he says. Starting the engine, he puts the boat in gear and chases the alligator away. Minutes later, work resumes. Before long, another alligator surfaces near the shoreline. Thibodeaux and Duhon throw golf ball-size clumps of mud at it. One spatters near its eyes, but the alligator fails to stir, so they keep planting.
After another hour, the group breaks for lunch at the McIlhenny Company Camp. Romero unpacks his ham sandwich and requests a bottle of Tabasco sauce. Osborn’s muddy arm reaches for one of seven varieties. “It makes everything taste better,” Romero says, and they all laugh on cue. Seated in a rocking chair, boots on the porch rail, he points to a partially submerged sailboat that a recent storm — there were too many, last season, for him to remember which — has hurled into the marsh from Cypremort, nine miles away. “It’s fragile,” he says. “You try and pass the land on, leave it a bit better, stronger than when you found it. You kick the can down the road. There’s always more work.” n
BY CHERÉ COEN
CThere’s a tremendous amount of attention that goes into restoring a 1796 Louisiana plantation home to be used as a bed and breakfast. At the time of this writing, owners Kenneth Douet and Richard Howes were struggling over three days just to reassemble a massive armoire to open their bilingual Maison Stéphanie by mid-July.
“It’s giving us a fit,” Douet said of the bulky antique. “And this was after we spent two hours putting together a kingsized bed.”
Douet and Howes purchased the threestory home of Martin Milony Duralde, a French Basque native who came to the United States on request of the Spanish government to help develop the city of St. Louis. Duralde married Marie Louise Josephe Perrault of Quebec while in Missouri, then received an assignment from then Louisiana Governor Bernardo de Gálvez. The Frenchman who spoke several languages, including studying the dialects of Louisiana natives, eventually received 1,450 acres along Bayou Teche in a Spanish land grant.
The bayouside Maison Stéphanie lies north of Cecilia at 1862 Bushville Highway in the Cecilia les Alentours Cultural District. The main B&B building offers five guest rooms to visitors, each with its own bathroom and a Mitsubishi air conditioning unit that can be adjusted individually without temperature changes bothering other visitors, Douet said.
There’s also the recently constructed Carriage House with its two bedrooms, where visitors can rent out the entire building with its living room, dining room and kitchenette, or just one half. The additional Acadian
(top) The “Julie” room overlooks the courtyard, garden and pond. (bottom) Maison Stéphanie
house in back provides two full-sized beds, a bathroom with a clawfoot tub and a living-dining room.
Future building plans include a barn and performance facility, another guest cottage and the early 1900s Frederick’s home of Arnaudville that has been dismantled and will be moved to the site, reconstructed and restored.
“Dr. Frederick was from the area,” Douet said. “It will be part of the B&B but will also serve as housing for the French Immersion school, Saint-Luc, located in Arnaudville.”
Maison Stéphanie sits on 20 acres of the original Spanish land grant with Bayou Teche at its back. Guests may enjoy paths down to the water’s edge or prefer to lounge in the accommodation’s three open areas.
“It’s very peaceful back there,” Douet said.
Douet researched both the house and its aristocratic owner and found that Duralde not only spoke Latin, Greek, Spanish and French, but worked with locals to learn the Chitimacha and Atakapa languages. He also penned correspondence to Thomas Jefferson regarding the finding of fossil bones and to Ben Franklin, relating
Louisiana plantation life and reporting on crop and cattle production. The letters to Franklin are housed in the American Philosophical Society’s Philadelphia archives but one of Maison Stéphanie’s master carpenters, who’s from Philadelphia, brought back copies to Douet after a home visit. Douet downloaded the files and will have them printed for guests to peruse.
Duralde had an impressive career in Louisiana, serving as the commandant of the Opelousas Poste from 1795 to 1803 and as a state senator for the Attakapas region. His daughter, Clarisse Duralde, married William C.C. Claiborne, Louisiana’s first American governor.
During his time in America, Duralde became very wealthy. His last will includes a long list of holdings.
“He had an enormous amount of property,” Douet said. He christened his plantation for the Greek word Stephanos, which means wreath or crown signifying honor and wealth. Because houses are feminine in the French language, Duralde named his home Maison Stéphanie. The bed and breakfast logo contains a Greek wreath.
The property has gone through many owners over the years, including Charles Henri Lastrapes after the death of Duralde, who expanded the land holdings. In 1889, the Huron Planting Company of Canada purchased the home and surrounding land and changed its name.
“Everyone my age knows it as the Huron Plantation,” said Douet, who grew up in St. Martin Parish. “No one knew it as Stéphanie. n
BY CHERÉ COEN
Doth Union and Confederate troops had Corinth in its crosshairs during the height of the Civil War, due to its two strategic rail lines. The small town in the northeast corner of Mississippi was originally named “Cross City” for the crossroads of the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads.
First came the Battle of Shiloh, about 30 miles north in Tennessee, where New Orleans Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard fought for three days along the Tennessee River but was forced to retreat to Corinth, which later fell into Union hands. A later battle ensued in the town when the Confederates attempted to win back the city, and failed.
Corinth’s Civil War history, including its unique Contraband Camp where Union soldiers allowed slaves to create their own community and sell their wares, is well on display. But today’s Corinth offers a much quieter offering, making for an ideal weekend getaway. Its quaint downtown features great dining and shopping options, a vibrant community theater and unique cultural offerings, such as their trademark slugburgers and the Thursday evening “Pickin’ on the Square” jam sessions.
The town contains numerous museums that tell its history, starting with the Crossroads Museum and Historic Corinth Depot where the rail lines meet. The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, a National Park Service visitor center, explains both the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Corinth, along with the war’s impact on the town’s citizens. Homes and buildings occupied by the two sides may be viewed on the walking tour, “60 Sights in 60 Minutes Historic Walking Tour” throughout the historic district, including homes that served as headquarters for Beauregard and other generals.
A bit more upbeat experience is the Coca-Cola Museum, created by the family that has owned the Corinth bottling works for more than 100 years. Hundreds of Coke memorabilia and an old soda fountain are on display.
Two new properties in Corinth have come on the Airbnb market — the four-bedroom elegant Carriage House, part of the 1906 estate next door, and the church-turned-
boutique accommodation, the Sanctuary, with its three bedrooms and expansive living area. For those who don’t mind driving, the unique Farmhouse on the outskirts of town offers a converted silo that sleeps four.
Every Thursday evening around 7 p.m. local bluegrass musicians gather on the courthouse square to perform for spectators who listen and dance. When weather turns ugly or it gets too cold, the pickin’ moves to the Bishop Center on Washington Street.
About 30 miles outside of Corinth lies Shiloh National Military Park, which tells the sad story of the Civil War battle where nearly 24,000 soldiers lost their lives on both sides, more casualties than in all of America’s previous wars combined. The park also contains numerous memorials, the Shiloh Indian Mounds and a U.S. National Cemetery housing the remains of around 4,000 soldiers. Best to save the trip to Shiloh for Sunday, since most of Corinth closes down after Saturday night.
Heading east, visitors may enter the historic Natchez Trace, which travels northeast to Nashville and southwest to Natchez. Just a short drive from Corinth on the Alabama side lies Buzzard Roost Spring where Chickasaw leader Levi Colbert offered a shelter for 19th century travelers next to a fresh spring. The spot includes camping, picnic tables and hiking opportunities along the Tennessee River. n
Start your day with biscuits and chocolate gravy at Abe’s Grill, an eclectic spot that’s hard to miss on the side of U.S. Hwy. 72 with its signs and memorabilia covering both exterior and interior. Borroum’s Drug Store across from Corinth’s historic courthouse is the oldest drug store in continuous operation in Mississippi and home to the “slugburger,” a dish “stretched” during hard times with ingredients such as flour. For fine dining, Smith restaurant located in the former Rankin Printery serves up steaks and seafood and Vicari Italian Grill offers a more elegant experience in a beautifully renovated downtown building.
A barge traveling on the Mississippi River passes under the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge in St. Charles Parish.
BY NICHOLAS MCMAHON, NEW ORLEANS
