Explore the Northshore Visitor Guide Issue 4: Fall 2019-Winter 2020

MAKING MUSIC ALL YEAR LONG

Explore

DANCE AT THE DEW DROP

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PADDLE THE BAYOU

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GET READY FOR MARDI GRAS

THE NORTHSHORE

Fall/Winter 2019-’20

107 78

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Lake Pontchartrain

CONTENTS FALL/WINTER 2019-20

ON THE COVER Kent Lavigne of Les Bons Amis Photography

by Kevin Garrett

Les Bons Amis jams on the patio of Palmettos on the Bayou. Check out page 17 for more on the Slidell establishment.

Inside

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26

CELEBRATE

EXPLORE

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT; RENÉE KIENTZ; ROBERTA CARROW-JACKSON

Party hard, party often here in the land of festivals, fetes and fun for all ages.

Swamp tours, nature trails and gator farms … oh, my.

“You’ll see an absolutely lovely patch of planet Earth.”

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36

MARDI GRAS

SPLURGE

CONNECT

Catch a krewe and find the best king cake at St. Tammany's Mardi Gras celebration.

13 INDULGE

Check out a few of the chefs and restaurants we love on the Northshore.

Shop St. Tammany for artisanal crafts, home goods and old world boutiques.

“Pack a backpack and commune with nature.”

Small museums and historic sites give perspective on the area’s past.

31 ADVENTURE

For fishing, sailing or paddling, the waterways await intrepid explorers.

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 1

FROM THE EDITOR

Explore THE NORTHSHORE

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT

Love Is All Around Me

M

y love affair for St. Tammany started in 1991, when my sister and her family moved to Mandeville from California. The towering pine trees, shimmering lakefront and friendly, charmed residents beckoned. So did the whitetail deer that skittered across the road one of the first times I drove to her new home. I caught my breath in the beauty of the moment.

When I was overwrought with the stresses of the daily grind, I would pack a bag and head an hour east on I-12 from our family home in Baton Rouge, eager to arrive on the Northshore, where my cares seemed to waft away on Lake Pontchartrain breezes.

I could breathe out here.

I started my weekend getaways to St. Tammany in college, but New Orleanians have been escaping to the Northshore since the late 1800s. In its heyday, hundreds of people a day came to Abita Springs, by schooner or train no less, to escape yellow fever and drink the pure waters from its artesian springs, declared positively medicinal. They also came for the piney woods and a resort lifestyle, where the air was clear and crisp and real estate offerings bragged of the “Ozone Belt.” Anyone in New Orleans who could afford one had a summer home in Abita Springs, Mandeville or Covington (not unlike the Hamptons and its relationship to New York City).

Like so many before me, I fell in love with the Northshore, and right after I graduated from college, I moved to St. Tammany Parish. And I love where I live. The quality of life is unbelievable. I’ve since married a Northshore man and we’ve had

2 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

a daughter, Charlotte, and I feel so blessed to be raising her in a land of community, a land of trees, lakes, rivers and parks.

Charlotte is a free spirit with tons of energy, which is perfect because there’s always something exciting going on in St. Tammany to keep us busy. In August, we hatched a baby alligator from its egg at Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery (page 27). A few months ago, she met (up-close and personal) a wild boar on a Cajun Encounters swamp tour with her friends (page 29). At 6 years old, she’s graduated from a stroller to a bike for our spectacular sunset walks on the lakefront (page 34). We love petting the chicken at the Covington Farmers Market and free concerts at the Mandeville Trailhead, where we can see Northshore native and girl-done-good, Amanda Shaw, who first picked up a fiddle when she was close to Charlotte’s age.

When the spirit moves us, we can play on the beach at Fontainebleau State Park, paddleboard on the Bogue Falaya river, kayak Cane Bayou or walk the boardwalks through Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge or Camp Salmen (page 38).

Life on the Northshore is simple and sweet.

We invite you to visit and see why we walk around feeling so lucky, just to be living here.

Just know that after you pack a bag, you might find yourself packing a moving van.

Christina Cooper

EDITOR

EDITOR

Christina Cooper CONTRIBUTORS

Jyl Benson, Beth D'Addono, Kevin Garrett, Roberta Carrow-Jackson, Renée Kientz, Anna Strider

LouisianaNorthshore.com PRESIDENT AND CEO

Donna O'Daniels St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission 68099 Highway 59 Mandeville, LA 70471 (985) 892-0520 www.LouisianaNorthshore.com

PRESIDENT/CEO

Kimberly Ferrante GROUP PUBLISHER

Adam Pitluk CREATIVE DIRECTOR

David Halloran ABOUT MIDWEST LUXURY PUBLISHING Midwest Luxury Publishing is a full-service communications outfit made up of experienced industry experts. We are your turnkey provider for all your communications and publishing needs.

CONTACT THE PUBLISHER info@midwestluxurypublishing.com midwestluxurypublishing.com 972.378.4845

Explore the Northshore is a biannual publication of the St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission. The STPTCC provides visitor information and assistance to leisure and business travelers in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Find comprehensive listings for accommodations, attractions, dining and events at the STPTCC’s official website: www.LouisianaNorthshore.com

Follow us on Facebook at ExploreLouisianaNorthshore and on Instagram @lanorthshore

A kayaker takes in the beauty of one of the many waterways in St. Tammany.

PHOTO PAT SGRO

CELEBRATE

JOIN THE PARTY There’s always something to revel in on the Northshore. We celebrate Louisiana music, visual arts and wooden boats, and of course Mardi Gras. So pack a bag and join us.

We've been known to dance in the streets on the Northshore.

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The Northshore planner Head to

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM/EVENTS

to find out more

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT; RENÉE KIENTZ; BILL LANG; GEORGE LONG

OCT. 2-6 St. Tammany Parish Fair

OCT. 26-27 Slidell Antique Street Fair

DEC. 14 A Christmas Past

Carnival rides, critters and food

Hunt treasures in Olde Towne

Yuletide fun in Old Mandeville

OCT. 12-13 Wooden Boat Festival

NOV. 2 Slidell Jazz and Blues Festival

JAN. 6 – MARCH 1

Maritime fun in Madisonville

Keeping it jazzy at Heritage Park

Boats, floats, and pups on parade

OCT. 19-20 Ozone Songwriter Festival

NOV. 9-10 Three Rivers Art Festival

Whole Town Garage Sale

100+ free performances in Mandeville

Juried outdoor art in Covington

Abita’s yard sale on steroids

Mardi Gras

MARCH 28

FAMILY-FRIENDLY MARDI GRAS IN ST. TAMMANY PARISH Looking for a tamer version of The Big Easy? The Northshore’s Mardi Gras celebrations are quirky, unforgettable, and full of positive energy. If small-town family celebrations are what you’re after, St. Tammany Parish will definitely fill your bag.

Check out LouisianaNorthshore.com/mardigras (See related story p. 10).

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 5

IMAGINE A SPECTACULAR SUNSET, THE

peal of a French horn wafting along ancient oaks and a booming symphony of music from Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, right along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. What’s not to love? Bring folding chairs, picnic blankets and baskets and save your spot. You’ll be glad you did.

Sunset Symphony on the Lake is a stirring performance in an unforgettable setting, made possible by the City of Mandeville on October 26.

Arts Alive! In Covington The annual outdoor art market comes to life at the Three Rivers Art Festival in November

D

owntown Covington is home to galleries representing some of the South’s best artists. So it’s no surprise that the town’s annual Three Rivers Art Festival is a juried event showcasing worthy works by artists from almost 30 states.

Each second weekend in November (this year, it’s Nov. 9-10), the outdoor arts fest takes over five city blocks of the historic downtown’s Columbia Street. More than 50,000 visitors enjoy the art-filled stroll while perusing works in every medi6 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

um, from ceramics and photography to fiber art, woodworking, metal work, sculpture, paintings, jewelry and more.

There’s no admission charge and parking is free throughout the historic St. John district. There’s a Children’s Discovery Area and a demonstration tent where you can watch artists make pottery or blow glass. And, this being Louisiana, there is, of course, music and food. Downtown galleries and restaurants are open as well, making Three Rivers a great place to enjoy a Fall weekend.

PHOTOS ROBERTA CARROW-JACKSON; JOANIE JOHNSTON; BOBBY GILBOY

Sunset Symphony on the Lake

Don't miss...

WILD THINGS

Bring the kids for a free event at Southeast Louisiana Refuges Headquarters in Lacombe to celebrate National Wildlife Refuges Week. Canoe tours, animals, wildflower walks, archery and kids activities. Oct. 12.

BIKETOBERFEST

Brooks' Bike Shop takes you on a group tour of the scenic Tammany Trace and to St. Tammany's breweries, including Old Rail and Chafunkta in Mandeville and Abita Brewery just outside Abita Springs. Oct. 19 LOBBY LOUNGE CONCERTS IN SLIDELL

Maritime Magic at the Wooden Boat Festival No plank-walking necessary, though a love of the water is required for the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival

S

ituated on the banks of the Tchefuncte (pron. Cha-FUNK-ta) River, the little town of Madisonville knows how to have fun on the water. Its biggest event each year is the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival, a weekend that celebrates maritime history and proves to be the largest gathering of wooden boats on the Gulf coast. Some captains even let landlubbers board their boat to admire the craftsmanship; check the woodenboatfest.org website for details.

Sponsored by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, the festival features scores of vintage watercraft from across the Gulf South, as well as demon-

strations, live music, divine festival food, a beer garden and a children’s area.

There’s a Kids Boat Shop, too, where tots can design their own vessels from wood pieces provided by the St. Tammany Woodworkers Guild.

The highlight just may be the Quick ‘n’ Dirty Boat Building competition, which challenges participants to pick a theme and then build a boat from provided materials in 14 hours. The boats then must prove their seaworthiness — but often don’t, to hilarious result.

Mark your calendar for this memorable festival October 12-13.

Check out the cool, intimate Bohemian-style performances at the Lobby Lounge at the Harbor Center.

Local celebrity Amanda Shaw performs on Oct. 15, with Wildeyes returning on Nov. 13.

ROCKIN' THE RAILS

Enjoy live music during the free concert series at the Covington Trailhead every Thursday evening in October. Explore downtown Covington afterward for specials.

NORTHSHORE FOOD TRUCK ROUNDUP

Abita Brewing Company sponsors live music by Casey Saba in the courtyard and a collection of area food trucks in its Beer Garden, including Old School Eats, Sweet Daddy’s BBQ and Rolling Cones Ice Cream. Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6 ABITA SPRINGS INAUGURAL FALL FEST

Slidell Antique Street Fairs

One day of 10 musical acts on two stages, this family-friendly fest features art, cuisine and the cultural heritage of quaint Abita Springs.

Acts include Marc Broussard and Flow Tribe. Nov. 2

Olde Towne District but the treasure hunt spills into the surrounding area for one weekend each fall and spring with antique street fairs selling everything vintage, cool and collectible. There is also lots of food and music. Free parking, no admission charge, but plenty of temptation. Oct. 2627, 2019 and March 28-29, 2020, Slidell

This pet-friendly street party in historic Slidell is held at the 2200 Block of Carey Street, between Robert and Cousin Streets. Live music, arts and crafts, vendors congregate on first Fridays of Oct., Nov., Dec., March, April and May.

SHOPS BECKON YEAR-ROUND IN SLIDELL’S PHOTOS JIM KUBIK; RENÉE KIENTZ

OLDE TOWNE CRAWL

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 7

FA-LA-LA-LA-LA Show-stopping Yuletide musical performances can be found all around the Northshore. Lift your spirits and rejoice in the season with song.

Holiday’n the Vines at Pontchartrain Vineyards NOVEMBER 30

Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall’s Holiday Concert DECEMBER 7

Mandeville Trailhead Evening Holiday Market (and Music) DECEMBER 7 & 21

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Yuletide Celebration at Slidell Municipal Auditorium DECEMBER 8

Christmas on the Northshore Concert St. Timothy United Methodist Church DECEMBER 8

Candlelight Caroling at the Covington Trailhead DECEMBER 13

Santa makes his presence known on the Northshore BY JYL BENSON

I

n these parts, Santa has been known to travel via pirogue pulled by a troupe of friendly alligators. When his watercraft pulls up to the banks of Lake Pontchartrain to visit the Northshore, he makes a big splash.

Santa’s first stop on the Northshore is Mandeville, where he arrives by boat on November 30 for the Winter on the Water boat parade and then again on December 7 for Merry Madisonville in Madisonville. He also makes a grand entrance via horse and buggy at the Folsom Horse and Wagon Christmas Parade December 14.

Holiday strollers spread cheer as they meander through the streets of Old Mandeville at the lakefront town's annual Sips of the Season on December 6. The event is modeled after the German Christkindlmarkt tradition, in which revelers wandered the town squares with mugs of warm, spiced wine called gluhwein. Purchase a mug in advance (they sell out quickly) at participating shops and join in the fun. Shoppers enjoy special sales, warm cider and signature spirits from local shopkeepers.

December 8, Covington Heritage Foundation presents its History and Holly Home Tour, with wine tasting along the pedestrian-friendly tour, holiday music, and festively adorned homes in a quaint Covington neighborhood. Relish in a taste of history at the Otis House Museum: Christmas in a Victorian Parlor as 8 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

DECEMBER 19

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s Baroque Christmas featuring Handel’s Messiah at First Baptist Church Covington DECEMBER 20

you enjoy seasonal decorations and learn Christmas customs.

Join Santa on a visit to yesteryear on December 14 as you wind through the leafy streets of Old Mandeville, enjoying carols sung by local musicians and choirs, for the city's annual "A Christmas Past" Festival. An old fashioned holiday atmosphere sets the backdrop for offerings of arts and crafts, jewelry, seasonal food and beverage, a Children's Village and train rides.

Enjoy Teatime with Santa at the Southern Hotel, The English Tea Room or Maison Lafitte. You can also catch up with Santa over story readings and hot chocolate at the Cajun Christmas at Big Branch, or meet the jolly elf and his reindeer while you dine at Annadele’s Plantation Restaurant’s Reindeer Romp.

St. Tammany lights up the parish with more than the shimmer of twinkling lights sprinkled along the streets, Tammany Trace trailheads and parks. Bring the entire family to Covington to experience the magic with Deck the Rails at Covington Trailhead, and to Slidell's Bayou Christmas in Heritage Park. You'll also find lots of family fun as you dress up as a reindeer or elf to strut down the streets of Olde Towne Slidell for the Kids Christmas Walk with Santa for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree and Christmas Under the Stars.

For more ways to celebrate the season, visit LouisianaNorthshore.com/holiday.

PHOTO BOBBY GILBOY

Welcome Back, Saint Nicholas

Santa joins Covington in the annual Deck the Rails event at Covington Trailhead.

Come join in the celebration on Dec. 14.

Holiday Concert with Northshore Community Orchestra at Slidell Municipal Auditorium

FIVE SPOTS ... for art

SALADINO GALLERY

S A L A D I N O Gallery has gained respect as a regional art powerhouse, showing works by a number of the South’s finest artists.

ART'S A PLENT Y

409 E. BOSTON ST., COVINGTON

ON THE NORTHSHORE

ARMBRUSTER ARTWORKS

Covington Art Market

FINE ART GALLERY AND SCHOOL

OCTOBER 5, NOVEMBER 2 & DECEMBER 7

Gretchen Armbruster features her fine art and offers regular workshops. By appointment.

Fall For Art in Covington OCTOBER 12

Abita Fall Fest

502 N. COLUMBIA ST., COVINGTON

NOVEMBER

PINEAPPLE GALLERY

NOVEMBER 9-10

Original works by local and regional artists including watercolorist Carol Hallock hang in this Mandeville gallery, which is also known for conservation framing.

Second Saturday Art Walks in Covington YEAR ROUND

St. Tammany’s Holiday Festival of Arts DECEMBER 1

829 ASBURY DRIVE, MANDEVILLE THE GALLERY AT COLUMBIA COWORKING

Fine art gallery showcases works of numerous artists including Leslie Vinson, Chase Dwight and Barbara Brocato.

By appointment.

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT (2)

215 N. COLUMBIA ST., COVINGTON CITY OF SLIDELL CULTURAL CENTER

This gallery inside Slidell’s City Hall hosts multi-artist shows and juried exhibitions.

2055 SECOND ST., SLIDELL

2

Covington Three Rivers Art Festival

Shop Local Artists Week DECEMBER 1-7

Artist's Haven St. Tammany Art Association: The hub of the Northshore’s vibrant visual arts scene

L

ong recognized as an art-friendly town, Covington is home to a number of fine galleries and the St. Tammany Art Association, itself a fine exhibition space. A lovely 19th-century building in Covington’s historic St. John District houses rotating exhibits by regional and national artists, juried competitions, member artist gallery, classes and lectures. In the alley between the STAA Building and HJ Smith and Sons Hardware, you’ll find Art Alley, a fun non-traditional exhibit and event space frequently used during Fall and Spring for Art, Columbia Street Block parties and more.

320 N. COLUMBIA ST., COVINGTON LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 9

Northshore Mardi Gras

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT :

Crawdoggies at the Mandeville Mardi Paws parade; Madisonville's Krewe of Tchefuncte boat parade; Floats at the Carnival in Covington; The Mande Milkshakers

Poodles, boats and floats are just the obvious things on parade, but wait until you see the people!

T

he Northshore’s Mardi Gras celebrations are quirky, unforgettable and full of positive energy. And if G-rated, small-town, family celebrations are what you’re after, St. Tammany Parish will definitely fill your bag.

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French and falls every year on the Tuesday before the start of Lent. So what is the rest of the parade season, which lasts about three weeks, called?

Carnival. As in, “It’s Carnival time! Throw me some beads!”

Carnival season kicks off on Jan. 6 (the Christian holiday of Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night) and continues until Fat Tuesday, which in 2020 falls on February 25. The St. John Fools of Misrule marching krewe, complete with flambeaux (torchbearers) and costumed cavorters, gets Northshore Carnival off to a raucous start January 11 as they parade through the streets of downtown Covington.

The Northshore celebrates maritime heritage with The Krewe of Bilge in Slidell and the Krewe of Tchefuncte in Madisonville; Krewe members decorate their boats in a floating parade and throw beads to crowds of parade-goers waving from the banks.

10 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

Carnival momentum builds with weekends of parades by krewes with names like Perseus, Poseidon, Selene, Eve, Dionysus and Titans rolling across the Northshore. Abita Springs’ always-zany Krewe of Push Mow is especially popular for its humor and themes like “What’s that Smell?” and “Terrible Theme Park Ideas.”

There are boat parades, dog parades, day parades and night parades, all culminating on Mardi Gras Day when most Northshore communities celebrate in some way. The biggest celebration is Carnival in Covington which begins with two parades followed by a street party at the Covington Trailhead.

The Northshore also holds the distinction of having the last Mardi Gras parade of the season; the Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws pooch parade is held on the Mandeville lakefront the Sunday after Mardi Gras. Families escort their pets along the walking parade route in costume, congregating and celebrating under the hundred-year old mossy oaks in one of the parish’s most popular processions.

For a schedule of Northshore Carnival parades and to watch our new Mardi Gras video, visit louisiananorthshore.com/mardigras.

LOLA’S OOEY GOOEY K KING CAKE (SERVES 8) CHEF NEALY FRENTZ, LOLA , COVINGTON

Ooey Gooey King Cake • 1 18.25-ounce box yellow cake mix • 1 large egg • 1 tsp. cinnamon • 1 stick salted butter, melted • Ooey Gooey filling (recipe below) • A plastic King Cake baby • Icing (recipe below) • Assorted sugar or sprinkles in Mardi Gras colors: purple, green, and gold

Randazzo’s Camellia City Bakery KINGCAKES.COM

Nonna Randazzo’s Bakery

1.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 inch round pan.

2.

Blend the cake mix, egg, cinnamon and butter in mixing bowl.

3.

Press the crumbly mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

4. Spread the Ooey Gooey Filling over the crumb mixture in the pan.

5.

NONNASKINGCAKES.COM

Bake until golden brown and firm, about forty-five minutes to one hour.

6. Cool for thirty minutes.

Mardi Gras’ Sweetest Symbol King cake is king on the Northshore

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f Mardi Gras has a smell, it’s got to be the seductive cinnamon-y aroma of freshbaked king cake. Topped with icing and sprinkles of purple, green and gold, the Mardi Gras colors, its arrival in bakeries and supermarkets is cause for celebration. Over the years, variations have come to include praline icing, fruit and cream cheese fillings. Inside, you’ll find a plastic or bisque baby hidden in the cake. Tradition holds that the person who gets the baby brings a king cake to the next party.

Two of the best king cakes on the Northshore come from different branches of the same family tree, using the original Randazzo family recipe created back in 1965.

Randazzo’s Camellia City Bakery in Slidell and Nonna Randazzo’s Bakery in Covington and Mandeville bake tens of thousands of king cakes each season, selling to locals who walk in to their bakeries and to aficionados all over the country.

If you’re in the area during Carnival season, stop into Camellia City or Nonna’s for a king cake to go. Or get one shipped to you. Both bakeries offer shipping and the chance to experience a little bit of Mardi Gras wherever you are.

7.

Insert plastic baby into cake by pressing it in firmly from the top.

8.

Ice and decorate with sprinkles. *Tradition calls for inserting the baby into the cake, and whoever receives the piece with the baby inside brings the cake to the next get together. Alternately you can place it on top for decoration.*

Ooey Gooey filling (makes about 2 cups) • 1 stick salted butter, melted • 8 ounces softened cream cheese • 2 large eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 1 tsp. cinnamon • 1 Tbsp. bourbon • 1 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar Combine butter, cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, bourbon and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth.

Icing • 1.5 cups confectioners’ sugar • 1 tsp. vanilla • 1 Tbsp. bourbon • water Combine sugar, vanilla and bourbon in a mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer until smooth.

Add water, a teaspoon at a time, until the icing gets to the desired consistency.

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 11

Sweet Sounds Music beats at the heart of the Northshore

12 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

Visitors to the Abita Springs Opry feel as if they’ve stepped back in time when they step into the 100 year-old Town Hall with pecky cypress walls and a wooden floor. Dedicated to the preservation of Louisiana “roots” music, multi-performer shows feature acoustic country, bluegrass and traditional southern gospel, even Cajun or zydeco.

There’s more than music in the air on the Northshore. There’s magic.

MUSICAL NOTES ABITA SPRINGS OPRY September 21 October 19 November 16 DEW DROP JAZZ & SOCIAL HALL September 14 & 28 October 12 & 26 November 9 & 23 December 7 JAZZ’N THE VINES September 28 TBA

October 12 DAVE JORDAN AND THE NIA

October 26 MATT LEMMLER JAZZ REVIVAL

November 30 HOLIDAY ’N THE VINES

Cajun Dance Lessons YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE CAJUN TO

“PASS

a good time” on the dance floor when the Northshore Cajun Dancers convene at Abita Springs’ Town Hall. Everyone is welcome to join in. Don’t know how to Cajun dance but want to learn? Free lessons are given from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Live music from the likes of Bruce Daigrepont, Choupique and Lee Benoit commences at 8 p.m. It’s a classically Cajun evening of food, drink and joie de vivre with all ages and skill levels two-stepping across the floor ($10 cover charge).

PHOTOS MELANIE SOULES; DEBORAH BURST

F

rom free outdoor community concerts at Heritage Park in Slidell or the trailhead amphitheaters in Mandeville and Covington to the autumn and spring concert series at the Dew Drop, Abita Opry and Pontchartrain Vineyards, the musical offerings of the Northshore resonate beautifully in our ears.

Jazz has been wafting through the ancient oaks outside the Dew Drop Jazz Hall in Mandeville since 1895. A quintessentially Southern experience, concert-goers line up outside the old wooden structure well before showtime. Twinkling lights strung from moss-laden branches and across the stage gaily welcome patrons to the oldest virtually unaltered jazz hall in the world. Purchase a glass of wine or Abita beer from the table out front, or a dinner plate from one of the church ladies at First Free Mission Baptist next door.

The popular Jazz’n the Vines concert series at Pontchartrain Vineyards in Bush also features Louisiana music including jazz, Cajun, zydeco and rhythm & blues.

Rousing bands play to families sprawled on blankets and in lawn chairs, all against the lush backdrop of the vineyard. Guests bring picnic dinners or purchase from local food trucks and sip the vineyard’s award-winning wine.

INDULGE

TAKE A BITE

Life’s a feast on the Northshore, where the culinary perspective has been shaped by the area’s diverse cultures as well as the bounty of the bayou. Whether you choose poboys from a mom-and-pop or Gulfinspired fare from talented chefs, there’s a great meal waiting for you.

Seared salmon with sweet potato and butternut squash hash from Susan's on Columbia in Covington

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 13

FIVE SPOTS

... to eat like a local LIZ ’S WHERE Y ’AT DINER

This lively little breakfast and lunch spot hums with good food (lots of it), nurturing servers and strong Louisiana coffee.

They come for the pancakes, fluffy and delicious, impossibly yummy cheese grits and perfectly executed eggs Benedict.

2500 FLORIDA ST., MANDEVILLE CRABBY SHACK

With its lived-in ambience, The Crabby Shack menu is typical of a South Louisiana neighborhood spot: dark-roux gumbo, boiled crabs and crawfish in season, fried seafood platters and poboys.

305 COVINGTON ST., MADISONVILLE BEAR ’S

Known for slow-cooked roast beef poboys, a messy, soulful handful of sandwich on French bread. Grilled ham, fried shrimp and hot sausage, and a righteous fried seafood platter, too.

New Eats on the Northshore If you want family feasting, there are delicious developments on the Northshore dining scene

BY BETH D'ADDONO

M

iddendorf’s is expanding its menu’s signature thin-cut catfish and bounty of seafood from the original Manchac location to the other side of the lake in Slidell. Situated off of Interstate 10 at 1951 Oak Harbor Blvd., the Slidell location swaps waterfront dining for a massive 2,000-square-foot deck and play area for the kiddos. Chef-co-owner Horst Pfeifer, who bought Middendorf’s in 2007 after Katrina shuttered his elegant New Orleans restaurant Bella Luna, promises to keep the traditional seafood true to its mission.

The Blind Tiger has opened new locations

in Covington and Madisonville, bringing a double dose of tropics to the Northshore.

The island-themed casual family restaurant first opened in Bay St. Louis in 2013 and expanded to Biloxi, Orange Beach, and Slidell.

The open-air, casual eatery, bright with a Caribbean color scheme is known for its mahi mahi tacos, boiled Royal Red shrimp and mammoth burgers. Find inviting decks at both locations and a kid's play area in Covington along the Bogue Falaya River.

19124 ROGERS LANE, COVINGTON

100 MARINA DEL RAY, MADISONVILLE

128 W. 21 ST AVE, COVINGTON PHIL’S MARINA CAFE

The setting overlooking Oak Harbor Marina makes a meal feel like a getaway at Phil’s Marina Cafe. Load up on gumbo and poboys. Chow down on fried catfish and oysters, crab cakes, steaks and burgers.

1194 HARBOR DRIVE, SLIDELL SPECKLED T ’S

Speckled T’s serves up downhome Louisiana specialties, including flavorful fish dishes like Trout Pontchartrain, fried seafood platters, poboys, gumbo, oyster-artichoke soup and boiled seafood in season.

158 S . MILITARY ROAD, SLIDELL

14 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

Roux 25

BY BETH D'ADDONO

TRAVEL ALONG RURAL LOUISIANA STATE

Highway 25 towards Folsom and an expected vista of gently rolling pastures, grazing horses and farmhouses dot the landscape. What is a surprise is Roux 25, a locally owned farm-to-table gastropub that opened in 2018, hoping to satisfy locavore foodies who didn’t always want to drive to Covington for a fine dining experience. Offering a sophisticated menu of craft cocktails and savories like chicken liver mousse with a cranberry port gelee and locally sourced herb roasted chicken with Screaming Oaks Farms’ field mushrooms, Roux 25 shines the spotlight on nearby growers including Covey Farms and Chappapeela Farms produce, growers that are just a few miles up the road.

Open Thursdays through Sundays. 82010 LA-25, FOLSOM

Chefs Keith and Nealy Frentz inside the dining car at LOLA.

Dining in a Depot, Cooking in a Caboose, Grateful for a Doodlebug Chefs Nealy and Keith Frentz add a new dining car to LOLA BY JYL BENSON

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PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT (2)

OLA is in downtown Covington across the street from the St. Tammany Parish courthouse, situated in a building that once housed the city’s historic train depot. The tiny kitchen is in an actual train caboose where husband-and-wife chefs Keith and Nealy Frentz create fine Southern cuisine with local produce and Gulf seafood. Excellent soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and thrifty prices (two-course daily plate lunch specials are $10) make this casual luncheon a hot spot with counter service on weekdays. Of particular note is the Chicken Salad Vegas Sandwich (mayo, grapes, walnuts and mixed greens on a house-made croissant). For $10 this simple sandwich hits all the right notes for a quick trip to bliss.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the restaurant is transformed with candlelight, flowers and twinkling crystal glasses, and the food becomes decidedly more complex and upscale.

Delicacies such as Cast Iron Duck Breast with “really”" dirty rice, charred Brussels sprouts, and sweet chili soy glaze; chargrilled Spanish octopus with tomato confit, Jeff Young's hummus, fried peanuts and olive oil; and crispy wild catfish with charred corn, smothered collards and Sriracha tartar sauce are presented with skilled table service.

The restaurant, usually packed to capacity, seats 40 inside with an additional 25 seats on an outdoor deck. For years, chefs turned guests away and lost business due to a lack of private space.

Relief arrived in the form of a Doodlebug.

The “new” dining car is a vintage 1925 Model 75 Doodlebug and

holds a position on the National Register of Historic Places. Due to this distinction its restoration took three years of wading through bureaucracy and red tape.

Last spring the Doodlebug made its final and permanent stop adjacent to the outdoor deck at LOLA. Its exterior has been refurbished to the original olive green, its interior bright and airy due to an abundance of windows, their sashes and frames a rich, warm white. Once, occupants would have been looking out at the countryside as it rolled past.

Today the windows look out upon the city's firehouse and a tranquil garden. As with the rest of the growing LOLA “campus,” the hardwood floors and fixtures are original. The walls are covered in a fanciful avian-themed paper lit by round brass globes that lend an old-world feel while banquette seating covered in a soft coral leather with a faint pearl sheen gives a pop of vibrancy.

The overall effect is warm and inviting. Rich teal velvet drapes can be closed to divide the narrow front dining room from a rear space, the centerpiece of which is a round table under a spherical chandelier adorned with sparkling turquoise stones. Curved banquette seating is snuggled into the rear of the Doodlebug, forming an alcove for a round table.

Thirty-eight additional patrons can now be accommodated in the stylish new dining car.

All this extra seating is making LOLA’s loyal fans happy.

517 N. NEW HAMPSHIRE ST., COVINGTON LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 15

Tammany Taste The Northshore’s diverse and deep restaurant scene feeds your hunger for authentic culinary experiences

THE CHIMES

19130 ROGERS LANE, COVINGTON

This popular restaurant features lovely decks and a boardwalk that leads to the Bogue Falaya River. Fall is a great time to dine out on the deck, enjoying the weather and the food. The Chimes specializes in a menu of casual, regional Louisiana specialties including chargrilled oysters, fried alligator, red beans and rice, and crawfish étouffée.

HAMBONE

544 GIROD ST., MANDEVILLE

OXLOT 9

DEL PORTO RISTORANTE 501 E. BOSTON, COVINGTON

Chef Jeffrey Hansell’s lovely dining space in downtown Covington’s Southern Hotel is a great showcase for the Gulf-inspired contemporary Southern food. Killer fried frog legs in hot sauce butter. Venison meat pies. Heritage pork chops. Hansell’s creativity and his deft touch with seafood and with meat make his ever-changing menu a culinary adventure.

Included in New Orleans food critic’s list of top 10 restaurants in the New Orleans area, Del Porto is a local favorite for its emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and contemporary Italian fare. Husband-andwife chef team David and Torre Solazzo are three-time semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef South award.

One bite of their stellar crudo, one spoon of risotto, and you know why.

428 W. BOSTON, COVINGTON

16 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

PHOTO CHERYL GERBER; KEVIN GARRETT; DAVID GALLENT

Chef Luke Hidalgo takes an upscale approach to Gulf South comfort foods, taking them to new heights. Think fried boudin with crab boil mozzarella, decadent charbroiled oysters, a rockin’ gumbo … all served in a cute-as-can-be cottage.

DAKOTA

629 N. HIGHWAY 190, COVINGTON

Chef Kim Kringlie still helms this grand dame of fine dining in Covington. Kringlie’s signature crabmeat and Brie soup earns new fans daily and his take on contemporary Louisiana flavors produce stunners like crispy soft-shell crab stuffed with shrimp and crawfish, served on pecan rice, and honey-glazed duck confit.

PALMETTOS ON THE BAYOU 1901 BAYOU LANE, SLIDELL

The name describes the place, a large Acadian cabin on the banks of historic Bayou Bonfouca, lush with palmettos and iconic Louisiana greenery enjoyed from the decks. Enjoy gumbo, shrimp and grits, crawfish beignets, trout amandine, balsamic duck and on Sundays, a live jazz brunch.

GALLAGHER’S

LOCATIONS IN COVINGTON, MANDEVILLE AND SLIDELL

Longtime local favorite chef Pat Gallagher knows his way around a steak. You may never have a better filet served in sizzling butter. Expect divine crab cakes and a deft touch with Louisiana seafood like pompano and redfish, as well as Colorado rack of lamb and chargrilled quail.

SAL & JUDY’S

27491 HIGHWAY 190, LACOMBE

Chef Sal Impastato's Lacombe institution is where Italy meets Louisiana. There’s pasta, like veal cannelloni and lasagna, even Bruciolini and Cappelletti (pasta stuffed with chicken and mortadella). But also trout Meuniere and crabmeat au gratin.

PHOTOS JOHN EVERETT; CHERYL GERBER; RENÉE KIENTZ; DAVID GALLENT

PARDO’S

5280 LA 22, MANDEVILLE

Labeling itself “an American bistro,” Pardo’s is casually elegant and easy to love.

Wood-fired oysters, carpaccio, a lump crab boulette and Bouillabaisse, as well as steaks, lovely salads and a creative approach make Pardo’s a people-pleaser.

THE SHACK

1204 W. 21ST AVENUE, COVINGTON

Chef Thomas “LoLo” LoPresti’s artful presentation has a colorful Caribbean kick, just like the fun and funky restaurant he operates with wife, Christine Clouatre. With Latin influences and a comfortable, family-friendly vibe, The Shack offers a rare combination. While their kids can run around and play, the parents enjoy outstanding offerings like bacon lump crabmeat guacamole, marinated skirt steak or pan-seared mahi over coconut rice and asparagus.

THE WINE GARDEN

300 ROBERT ST., SLIDELL

Extensive cheese and charcuterie boards are as lovely as the historic building in Olde Towne Slidell. Try the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, Korean steak salad or filet mignon and catch live music performances, including smooth jazz.

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 17

You'll eat our words Confused by some of the items on the menu?

Here’s a Louisiana lexicon to interpret for you

O

ne glance at a menu and you know you’re in Louisiana, even if you aren’t familiar with the dishes.

Here’s a brief primer to help you decipher local menus and speak like us.

ANDOUILLE: This flavorful, spicy sausage is a favorite in chicken and sausage gumbo.

(Pron. AHN-doo-ee) BBQ SHRIMP: Not what you think. It means shrimp left in the shell and served almost submerged in a garlicky, peppery butter sauce. Crisp French bread helps you lap up the butter. It’s messy. It’s fattening. It’s okay; live a little.

BOUDIN: A regional specialty suasage made with pork, rice and seasonings. It’s often found in restaurants in the form of fried of boudin balls. (Pron. Boo-DAN) GUMBO: A dark, flavorful soup, real gumbo takes a long time to cook and requires a little voodoo to do properly. Most gumbos are variations on two themes: seafood or chicken and sausage. Served with rice, it can be light brown or dark as swamp water.

MUFFULETTA: This traditional sandwich takes its name from the crusty round Ital-

Anna Strider eating a shrimp poboy at Bear's in Covington.

ian bread it’s made with. Stuffed inside are several layers of ham, Genoa sausage, Provolone cheese and chopped olive salad.

Eaten warm or cold, the giant sandwich usually serves two or more people.

POBOY: A long sandwich on crusty French bread, a poboy really isn’t the same as a submarine or a hoagie. It can be ordered with a variety of fillings, including the most popular: fried shrimp or oysters or long-simmered roast beef slathered in gravy.

PRALINES: A simple candy that’s nevertheless hard to make well. Most pralines are made with sugar, butter, vanilla (or other flavoring like rum) and nuts. (Pron.

PRAW-leen) RED BEANS AND RICE: You’ll often see this as a Monday special at restaurants harking back to the days when south Louisiana women traditionally did the wash on Mondays and needed something slow and easy to ignore on the stove. Red beans are kidney beans and here they’re slow-cooked with seasoning meat til almost creamy, then served with white rice.

Have a Cuppa' and stay a spell at Abita Roasting Co. BY BETH D'ADDONO JAVA LOVERS KNOW DEEP IN THEIR DNA

that coffee is a magical potion. It wakes us up in the morning. It brings people together to chat and socialize. It gives a body a boost when energy lags. The folks at Abita Roasting Co. get that. They’ve been sourcing, roasting and preparing outstanding coffee since 2006.

With two locations, one in Covington, the other in Madisonville, Abita Roasting Co. pours some of the best coffee elixirs around, from cold press pure black ice coffee, perfect for the summer heat, to freshly roasted brews like Black & Tan, a blend of smoky dark and medium beans with just a hint of caramel. Locally roasted in Abita Springs, the company is also in partnership with the Abita Springs Café, which also serves a special café blend of coffee to its customers.

Beyond coffee, both locations offer tantalizing eats for breakfast and lunch, from starters in Madisonville like Belgian waffles and hefty bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches to Covington’s expanded menu of crispy seafood, cochon de lait panini and big mouth burgers, with catering also available. The popular company is growing — look for two new locations in the coming year.

Connect to that morning brew and satisfy a craving at Abita Roasting Co. It’s a comforting ritual that might just become habit forming.

504 WATER ST., MADISONVILLE

1011 VILLAGE WALK, COVINGTON 18 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

FIVE SPOTS ... for farmers markets

ABITA SPRINGS ART AND FARMERS MARKETS

Sunday Noon – 4 p.m.

22049 MAIN ST., ABITA SPRINGS MANDEVILLE TRAILHEAD COMMUNITY MARKET

Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1p.m.

Arts and crafts, prepared foodstuffs, fresh produce

675 LAFITTE ST., MANDEVILLE LAFITTE STREET STATION MARKET

Saturdays 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Thursdays 4-8 p.m.

Breads from scratch, local honey, produce and more 698 LAFITTE ST., MANDEVILLE CAMELLIA CITY MARKET

PHOTO MELANIE SOULES

Saturday mornings 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Prepared foods, tons of fresh produce, live music 333 ERLANGER ST., SLIDELL

COVINGTON FARMERS MARKET

Saturday mornings and Wednesdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Creole cream cheese, Kombucha, organic meats & produce and live music 609 N. COLUMBIA , COVINGTON ON SATURDAYS

419 N. NEW HAMPSHIRE, COVINGTON ON WEDNESDAYS

Come and Meet the Makers at Abita Springs Art & Farmers Market

D

on’t even think about going to the Abita Springs Art & Farmers Market and resisting temptation.

The weekly Sunday happening from noon to 4 p.m. at the Abita Springs Trailhead Park features around 20 regular vendors, all with one goal in mind: To entice and dazzle their customers with homegrown, homemade and home-crafted treats.

Take Ari Grigg of Evyl Confections out of Slidell, for example. Ari is a busy mom to three boys and her husband, John, is an active duty Marine. Good thing Ari is a talented confectioner and can work at home. She is a maker of fudge, from traditional (classic walnut) to trippy (pina colada), and she dabbles in seasonal candied citrus rind and chocolate espresso beans. But really, everything she makes

BY BETH D'ADDONO

is a home run.

Then there’s Craig Bond, a Covington woodworker who fashions whimsical puzzles for children of all ages, ideal gifts for kids whose parents like sustainable, green playthings. Sample a tamale egg roll from Mi Bop’s Tamales, but try the sausage too and bring a cooler for take home. A dozen yard eggs from Brown Hat Farms in Sun, Louisiana, are almost, but not quite, too pretty to eat. Same goes for the vegetables from Home Grown Produce in Amite. There are local soaps and essential oils, wild caught seafood, pastured poultry and more.

Really, it all adds up to a recipe for a perfect Sunday afternoon, a chance to meander, people watch and meet the artists and makers who aim to please.

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 19

FIVE SPOTS ... to lift a glass

ABITA BREWING COMPANY

Chafunkta Brewing Co. gives you something to cheers about It's worth a trip on a road less traveled to experience this local favorite watering hole BY BETH D'ADDONO

A

lthough it’s not far from where Hwy. 59 intersects with Interstate-12, the family-owned Chafunkta Brewing Company isn’t on the beaten path. Tucked away in an industrial park, a location specified by local regs, this nano brewery is a gem worth discovering.

For starters, the beer is creative, thanks to the passionate brewing talents of co-owners Josh and Jamie Erickson, at it since 2011. Rooted in a house Imperial IPA and a Robust Porter, reflecting Josh’s love of hops and Jamie’s adoration of coffee respectively, a slew of interesting pours rotate on the taps, like Bayou Blaze, an easy drinking Irish red and Lemmings DDH IPA, a New England style IPA with 20 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

more than a hint of citrus.

Then there’s the space. Imagine a ginormous ramshackle game room with beer taps and get the idea. There is a well-used sofa grouping along with board games, foosball and a pool table, but that’s not all. Wednesday is trivia night with Taco Jerks food truck for good eats, and Saturday is the weekly bike crawl from 1-4 p.m. on the Tammany Trace. Sunday, there’s no need to drink alone because you can bring Fido for Pups and Pints BeauxGeaux (buy one get one free with pup), and 10 percent of all sales go to the Northshore Humane Society. Sweet.

Tap room open Wednesday — Sunday.

69123 SKYBROOK RD., MANDEVILLE

The oldest craft brewery in Louisiana and one of the largest in the Southeast. Abita aficionados love its guided and self-guided tours, lively tap room and special events like trivia nights and food truck roundups.

166 BARBEE ROAD, COVINGTON THE WINE GARDEN

Craft cocktails, flights of wine, beer and spirits, as well as fantastic food in historic Olde Towne.

300 ROBERT ST., SLIDELL THE BARLEY OAK

Old world draught haus on the lakefront in Mandeville. 100+ craft beers and spectacular sunsets.

2101 LAKESHORE DRIVE, MANDEVILLE BARREL WINE BAR

Twenty-plus wines from around the world by the glass. Live music, small plates and wine dinners.

69305 HWY 21, SUITE E, COVINGTON PONTCHARTRAIN VINEYARDS

Award-winning wines in a classic tasting room. Home to Jazz’n the Vines concert series.

80158 LA 182 , BUSH

RIGHT : Cayman Sinclair with his wife, Sara

A SAMPLE MENU AT THE LAKEHOUSE

GULF SHRIMP AND CORN SOUP

Mandeville native Cayman Sinclair works on a global stage to reinvest in his hometown

BY JYL BENSON

I

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT; CANDRA GEORGE

n 1834, the high living bon vivant Bernard de Marigny built a graceful home on the Mandeville lakefront as a retreat from his life of leisure and gambling.

By1912, it had changed hands to those who actually worked to become Bechac's restaurant, a beloved institution frequented by New Orleanians who spent weekends or even entire summers taking in the pine and salt-scented air across Lake Pontchartrain from the city.

For five generations the Bechac family ran the restaurant, which was celebrated for its incongruous bar of mahogany and cinderblocks, Sazeracs, stuffed flounder, trout amandine and deftly prepared fried chicken.

In 2002, the building suffered a fire. In 2008, Cayman Sinclair, the antithesis of the lazy Bernard de Marigny, undertook a full restoration of the building and returned the 19th century structure to his native community as The Lakehouse. He raised the money to do so by working grueling gigs feeding thousands a day as a mobile caterer following hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Sinclair, 49, never stops working, planning, thinking, engaging, doing. With boyish good looks, a ready smile, boundless energy, enthusiasm and gratitude he could present a solid argument for work as the fountain of youth. In addition to The Lakehouse, he also owns a catering company by the same name that has fed diners ranging

from disaster-relief workers and displaced hurricane victims to demanding A-list celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé and Ariana Grande. He also owns Maison Lafitte reception hall, and an as-yet-unnamed, soon-to-open barbecue joint, all of which are based in Old Mandeville.

Sinclair has seen the film industry boom in St. Tammany Parish (see related story page 40). The Lakehouse has catered over 130 feature films for production companies like Paramount, Netflix, Universal Studios and Amazon. Sinclair’s crew has fed Keanu Reeves, Matthew McConaughey, David Spade, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry, Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise, Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Garner.

His reputation for attention to detail and Louisiana-style hospitality means routinely packing down convoys of trucks with buffet tables made of centuries-old Louisiana sinker cypress, massive rotisseries for slabs of meat sizzling on hefty skewers, carving stations, Gulf seafood and tropical plants that invoke the South.

“I want to emphasize that since 2011, Hollywood South and the film business have elevated The Lakehouse—both catering and the physical restaurant,” Sinclair says. “Our exposure to the film business led to opportunities with tourism events, music videos, VIP artist experiences, the NFL and so much more. Hollywood South has been a blessing to Louisiana.”

LAKEHOUSE SALAD

strawberries, candied pecans, red onion, bleu cheese, sherry vinaigrette FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

seared shrimp, jumbo lump crab ravigote, Tabasco butter CRISPY OYSTERS

artichoke hearts, Tasso cream, garlic-cheddar biscuit GULF FISH AMANDINE

herbed potatoes, green beans PAN - ROASTED FILET

truffle mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, crispy shallots, mushroom demi-glace BOUILLABAISSE

smoked tomato broth, Gulf fish, shrimp, mussels, jumbo lump crab, saffron rice VEAL OSSO BUCCO

creamy polenta, root vegetables, red wine jus FRIED SOFT SHELL CRAB

Cappellini with a tomato crème sauce WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

dark chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream CAST IRON TART OF THE DAY CHEESE PLATE

crispy flatbread, red wine syrup, spiced pecans The Lakehouse Restaurant, Catering & Events Venue, 2025 LAKESHORE DRIVE, MANDEVILLE LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 21

SPLURGE

TREAT YOURSELF Some of us just need to shop.

You'll find plenty of shopping ops on the Northshore, so let's go!

22 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

FIVE SPOTS ... to shop

FREMAUX TOWN CENTER, SLIDELL

Tenants at this sprawling center include Best Buy, Dillards, Dick’s Sporting Goods, TJ Maxx and numerous restaurants.

Located off the Fremaux exit.

(If you’re looking for antiques, head to Olde Towne Slidell, a few minutes away.)

DOWNTOWN COVINGTON

The town’s historic district is a walkable feast for shopaholics, with quaint streets, cottage boutiques, restaurants, galleries and so much more. Check out Lee Lane, Rutland and Columbia streets for sure. You’ll find antiques, art, jewelry, gift items, clothing and free parking, too.

PREMIER SHOPPING CENTERS, MANDEVILLE

The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Anne Taylor Loft are among the shops at this large center on Highway 190.

Old World Shopping Step back in time at the Das Schulerhaus Gift & Christmas Boutique BY JYL BENSON

D

onna Plaia, the proprietress of Das Schulerhaus, is surely The Boss of all things Yuletide. However, though known for all things Christmas, Das Schulerhaus celebrates all holidays — or even just the given day, all year long. This historic Old Mandeville cottage store is lavishly stocked with Christmas items, often with an Old World bent, that keep time with the Easter Bunny, Halloween goblins, nightlights masquerading as stained glass art, Mardi Gras ephemera, festive Louisiana themed house-wares, seasonal clothing,

kooky teapots ... you name it.

Take time to linger, explore and drift away from the outside world when visiting this veritable fun house of celebration. Give in to a child-like sense of adventure: There is a new surprise awaiting in every colorful little nook and cranny. Plaia hosts frequent "Wine Down Wednesdays" with complimentary libations that make the treasures within her shop even more irresistible.

611 GIROD ST., MANDEVILLE

RIVER CHASE SHOPPING CENTER, COVINGTON

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT (2)

Located at I-12 and Highway 21, the center beckons with Best Buy, Marshall’s, Target, Lane Bryant and more.

(Restaurants and a multiplex movie theater, too.)

PINNACLE NORD DU LAC, COVINGTON

Find Kohl’s, Kirkland’s and Academy here, as well as specialty shops like Ban Soleil and Bra Genie. I-12 at Pinnacle Parkway.

HJ Smith & Sons

YOU CAN ’T MISS THE OLD WOODEN STRUCTURE ON COVINGTON ’S COLUMBIA STREET,

with its wagon out front, vintage swing and Bonanza vibe. Opened in 1876, HJ Smith & Sons General Store and Museum is still operated by the Smith family, who’ve stocked it to the rafters with everything from camo to garden gnomes, and the precise nail needed for a home project. You’ll find everything you didn’t know you needed here, and more.

Floors creak and history hangs in the air, especially when a small ramp leads you into the original general store, preserved by the family in all its mercantile glory as a free museum. It’s fun to see the artifacts of Covington’s past, a cast iron casket, 20-foot cypress dugout and old-timey cases crammed with detergent-box china, farm tools and dry goods. 308 N. COLUMBIA ST., COVINGTON LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 23

Stella & Grace owner Taylor Alfonso

Three Divas and a Sugar Daddy

BY JYL BENSON

Visit Downtown Covington, Old Mandeville and Olde Towne Slidell for stylish options BY JYL BENSON

T

he historic districts of old Downtown Covington, Old Mandeville and Olde Towne Slidell are all welcoming, easily walk-able neighborhoods dotted with privately owned boutiques offering distinctive, carefully chosen collections of ladies' clothing.

With two locations just steps from each other, Columbia Street Mercantile, located on a stylish, leafy block in Old Covington, has all the bases covered at prices that will please. The larger of the two, at 231 N. Columbia St., is loaded with infinitely wearable, casual on-trend clothing; seasonally appropriate dresses, skirts and blouses, jeans to flatter every figure and accessories to finish the look. These are the items you will reach for again and again and again, pairing them with heels and a glittering handbag for one occasion, sandals and a floppy hat for another.

Across the street, the sister property has 24 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

a more polished focus on cocktail dresses, mother-of-the bride, day dresses and designs for special occasions. 231 AND 236 N. COLUMBIA ST., COVINGTON

In keeping with the neighborhood it serves, Cameo is stocked with elegant, casual choices for date nights, dinner with friends and romantic strolls along the nearby waterfront. Look for Joe's Jeans, Loren Hope jewelry and a well-curated selection of serve ware for entertaining and gifting. 302 GIROD ST., MANDEVILLE Taylor Alfonso, proprietress of Stella & Grace Boutique in Olde Towne Slidell, sets the tone for customers the moment one passes through the door. With a relaxing libation in hand, it could be easy for any woman to imagine herself maneuvering the various facets of life while reigning radiant in the chic, fashionable and sometimes daring pieces Alfonso has on display. 2260 CAREY ST., SLIDELL

2306 FRONT ST., STE 5, SLIDELL

PHOTO LAUREN DELAINE

Au Courant Choices for Ladies in Three Historic Shopping Districts

SCARLETT O'HARA HERSELF, visitors to Three Divas & A Sugar Daddy are rendered breathless upon opening the door to this glittering emporium.

Central to 20,000 square feet of retail space is a stunning double-wrought metal staircase that winds upward then branches out to become a railing to form an open balcony. The lofty space, which can also be accessed via elevator, is dedicated to children's clothing, toys and curiosities as well as upscale women's loungewear, dresses, sweaters and a small selection of shoes.

On the first floor, the space is packed with posh, beautifully packaged products dedicated to feminine self-pampering and gift giving—candles, fragrances, jewelry (including a large selection of Ronaldo bracelets), an expansive selection of both reading and sun glasses; sparkling stemware, linens and serve ware for entertaining. Both LSU and Saints fans are well represented in both clothing and home accessories as well.

Sylvia Reine started the popular, colorful destination for gifts in 2010 after three decades in construction, subdivision landscaping and interior design. She still oversees purchasing and strives to bring her personal flair to everything she offers in her store.

LIKE

Lori's Art Depot & Community Center for the Arts

BY JYL BENSON INSATIABLY CREATIVE, LORI GOMEZ FUELS

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT

her passion for creating objects of art with other people's discards—broken holiday decorations, discarded strands of Mardi Gras beads, bowling pins from a shuttered alley. Gomez recently opened Lori’s Art Depot & Community Center for the Arts and in so doing, transformed a cavernous room into a bright, inspiring space where she can share her gift for creativity with others via a series of formal and fun workshops. The collections on hand, most of which are for sale, include portraits of both local and international musicians, stained glass window hangings, bowling pins re-imagined as be-feathered Mardi Gras Indians and "paintings" rendered in Mardi Gras beads.

Devoted to helping and uplifting veterans, one of Gomez's most noted projects is a piano she restored and painted with a Beatles theme for Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build program. The piano was signed by Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney and was auctioned for $98,000. This enabled the non-profit to build a home for a veteran. 1827 FRONT ST., SLIDELL TRAIN

DEPOT MUSEUM, SLIDELL

Backyard of the Bourgeoisie Creativity is the draw at Northshore Art and Home Decor Marketplaces BY JYL BENSON

A

beacon for artists and craftspeople, in recent years the Northshore has sprouted a number of art markets featuring traditional painting and objects d'art as well as refurbished furnishings and traditional home and holiday decor.

Clayton House Marketplace is a compendium representing different builders, pickers, artists and antique dealers who sell their wares in a community setting.

Sprawling 30,000 square feet over a single level, the marketplace is full of farmhouse-style decor, painted and distressed furniture, antiques, custom rustic and Cypress furniture, home decor, custom-designed children's clothing and more. 1600

N. COLLINS BLVD., COVINGTON

Located in Mandeville, Redoux, a marketplace representing an array of vendors, offers fragrant, small-batch candles and

soaps, eclectic home decor, both new and up-cycled furniture, devotional items, jewelry and apparel. The colorful shop also offers classes where guests are taught to paint their own furniture for a new look. 2983 HIGHWAY 190, MANDEVILLE The folks at The Painted Pelican want you to bring your kids shopping. In anticipation of their arrival, a theater has been constructed on the second floor where young guests can occupy vintage movie house seating while taking in both contemporary and nostalgic movies while their parents take their time shopping multiple vendors' offerings in furniture, vintage movie ephemera, table wares, accessories, home decor and more. The offerings here trend to the antique, authentic, custom-made, up-cycled, repurposed, vintage, nostalgic and unique. 1957 N. COLLINS BLVD., COVINGTON

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 25

EXPLORE

COME ON IN Hold a baby gator, tour a mystery house, visit the pristine Honey Island Swamp or bike the Tammany Trace. There’s a lot to discover.

GATOR FACTS • The American alligator averages about 800 pounds and can be 10-15 feet long, though the largest ever recorded was found here in Louisiana and measured 19.2 feet.

• Alligators can run about 20 miles per hour in short bursts.

Calling All Gator Groupies Get your reptilian fix at Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery and learn everything there is to know

I

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT (3)

t’s not a visit to Louisiana without an alligator interaction, right? We’ve got just the place for you. Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery in Covington is home to more than 2,000 alligators (and a few humans who interact with them). Insta-Gator offers fun and educational tours and programs that will teach you all about the prehistoric reptiles and even give you a chance to hold one.

Kids (and their parents, too) love to visit the touch pool, where smaller alligators swim in crystal clear water and you can scoop them up as they glide by for a fantastic photo-op.

Visitors hear all about the harvesting of gator eggs, often from area waterways like Bayou Castine, and watch a video before visiting huge alligators in tanks in their covered barns. Guides explain the indus-

try that actually helps preserve the species in the wild. There’s a gift shop at Insta-gator, too, where they like to say you’ll learn everything about the American alligator from “hatchling to handbag.” 23440

LOWE DAVIS ROAD, COVINGTON

• The state’s alligator population is around two million, the most of any state. After population declines by the mid-20th century, harvest quotas were put into place. Populations now are at sustainable levels.

• Diet consists mostly of fish, turtles, small mammals and birds, though alligators have been known to attack dogs, deer and on rare occasions, humans.

• Alligators today represent a $50 million industry for Louisiana. Shoes, purses and other items of alligator skin fetch high prices and the meat, which is classified as seafood (but, yes, tastes like chicken), is increasingly offered in restaurants.

• Mating season is April to May. Females build a nest and lay 20-60 eggs, then cover the nest with vegetation and hang out til August when eggs begin to hatch.

• As a species, alligators have been around for about 37 million years.

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Abita Mystery House It’s creepy and it’s kooky, mysterious and spooky,

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he Abita Mystery House celebrates itself as Louisiana’s “most eccentric museum.” The funky-licious little place, cool and goofy at the same time, is a short stroll from Abita Springs Town Hall and has welcomed the curious from all over the world. Sprung from the brain of Abita impresario/artist John Preble, the Mystery House is a roadside attraction-like emporium crammed with outsider art, Southern wit and the flotsam and jetsam of modern life. Fun for all ages, 28 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

the Mystery House has hands-on exhibits, mythical creatures like the Bassigator (half fish, half gator) and the Dogigator (half dog, half … you know), and what may be the state’s best gift shop. Enjoy the place at face value or cogitate on the Nature of Art, just not too hard. Bring your sense of humor and $3 because that’s what it costs to get in at the Mystery House, where “everyone is welcome, even your family.”

22275 HIGHWAY 36, ABITA SPRINGS

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT; MELANIE SOULES (2)

and it’s located right in the heart of Abita Springs

Honey Island Swamp

Pristine Natural Beauty Encounter nature without cinema special effects in the Honey Island Swamp

F

PHOTOS KEVIN GARRETT (2)

Cajun Encounters tours exploring Honey Island Swamp

orget the swamps you’ve seen in movies with 20-foot gators launching themselves into canoes and hissing black snakes dangling from every moss-hung tree. Pure Hollywood.

What you can expect to find in the Honey Island Swamp, on the northeast edge of St. Tammany Parish, is pristine beauty and abundant wildlife. There are gators, to be sure. You’ll see them sunning themselves on logs or watching warily from the banks (you make them more nervous than they make you); if they swim out to the boat it will be to score a few marshmallows thrown by the tour guide to lure them closer.

You probably won’t be seeing any snakes, though they’re out there. And despite reported sightings that date back centuries, odds are you won’t be catching a glimpse of the Honey Island Swamp Monster, either.

You will see turtles, maybe an eagle overhead and snowy white egrets patiently stalking a bullfrog dinner. You might see boar, a nutria, prehistoric-looking pileated woodpeckers or great blue herons, depending on what time of year you visit.

You’ll see an absolutely lovely patch of planet Earth, one that’s been largely protected from us.

The Honey Island Swamp encompasses almost 70,000 acres, more than half of which is preserved for posterity as part of the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area. The PRWMA is swampy in the south, more hardwood bottomland to the north and home to black bears, feral pigs, cougars, nutria and an abundant yearround migratory bird populations.

Several swamp tour companies bring visitors into the Honey Island Swamp.

Reservations aren’t mandatory but much appreciated and may avoid disappointment on your part. Most tours run around two hours in length.

In the fall, the cypress trees begin changing from brilliant green to a rust color. And winter has its own beauty as the cypress trees bare, gators are mostly dormant but other wildlife are more active and visible. Visitors in spring will see the most color, as irises and water hyacinths bloom in profusion; summer is prime time to see alligators.

Several tour companies operate out of the Slidell area. Most companies offer boats that seat 15 to 24 passengers, however tours by kayak are available as well.

For more information on Honey Island Swamp tour operators, visit LouisianaNorthshore.com/swamp

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 29

Bike riders enjoying a cruise on the Tammany Trace

Take your time or get your heart rate up along scenic Tammany Trace, a long & lovely path through the Parish

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he 31-mile-long Tammany Trace winds through green spaces, parks and over bayous, connecting five communities and offering all who travel a way to experience the Northshore’s natural beauty.

Originally a corridor for the Illinois Central Railroad, the Trace now is a walkable, rideable asphalt ribbon stretching from downtown Covington, continuing through Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell. It’s so special it was inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2017.

Some users stroll or pedal leisurely. Others power-walk the path or even horse-back ride along the adjacent horse trail. Serious cyclists, in racing jerseys and Lycra shorts with padded buns, whiz through from beginning to end and back.

30 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

Whether you walk a few blocks or go the distance, the Trace is a lovely way to explore the Northshore.

There are numerous entry spots for the Trace but the official Trailhead is located on Koop Drive off Highway 59. A green caboose serves as the information center and ranger office. Also here are restrooms, water fountains, a playground and picnic tables. There are trailheads, with parking and restrooms in downtown Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville and Slidell. (Bike rentals are available in several towns; see related story.)

The Tammany Trace is closed to motorized traffic except for the small carts used by park rangers who patrol its length from 7:30 a.m. to dusk daily. Visit www.

TammanyTrace.org for a map and to plan your outing.

BIKE RENTALS BROOKS’ BIKE SHOP

Patrick Brooks operates two bike shops on the Northshore, one near the Mandeville lakefront and another in downtown Covington at the start of the Tammany Trace bike path. A new location in Slidell is scheduled to open in fall 2019.

Guided tours of Old Mandeville, Covington and the Trace can be scheduled with as few as three people, and there’s even a brewery tour by bike. You can pick out your bike online in advance.

BROOKSBIKESHOP.COM BAYOU ADVENTURE

Located near the scenic Lacombe drawbridge of the Tammany Trace, this outpost has tons of Louisiana snacks, great food and souvenirs to stock up on for your ride. Kayak rentals and guided paddling tours, too. BAYOUADVENTURE.COM

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT

Trace a Trail

ADVENTURE

EXPERIENCES Get in touch with your inner adventurer on the Northshore, where you can go hiking, fishing, camping and paddling all year long. Rent gear or take a charter, but get out there and play.

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 31

Charter fishing for redfish in the coastal marsh with Captain Mike Gallo.

LOCAL LURES Three local companies based in Slidell sell their own tried-and-true lures used to attract record redfish and tempt trophy trout. Fill your tackle box with what the locals use and you’ll be sure to catch your limit and have a good time.

MATRIX SHAD

In addition to offering fishing charters, Matrix Shad designs soft lures including the Ultra Violet, Green Hornet, Tiger Bait, Shrimp Creole and new Vortex Shad to attract redfish and trophy trout.

The Ultra Violet boasts the ability to catch five species of fish in one day. Find Matrix Shad lures throughout Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast at fishing hot spots, marinas and hardware stores. MATRIXSHAD.COM CATEGORY 5

Category 5 Fishing Lures feature a line of lifelike soft plastic lures designed for speckled trout, redfish, bass, flounder and many other coastal species. Tournament and leisure anglers alike favor the Suicide Croaker, Shrimp Minnow and Manic Minnow.

We'll do our best to help you get a catch on your trip that won't get away

F

ishing’s a favorite pastime on the Northshore and a fun activity yearround for families who can throw out a line from the Mandeville sea wall, or along Lake Road’s marshy banks in Lacombe, or from the St. Tammany Parish Fishing Pier in Slidell. But there’s action for serious anglers, too, thanks to the many charter captains working out of Northshore marinas.

With easy access to Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne, the Rigolets Pass and the Biloxi Marsh, charters are a great way to spend the day on the water. Area captains know where to go for trophy trout, record redfish, largemouth bass, sheepshead, tri32 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

pletail, flounder and drum. Some, like Mike Gallo of Angling Adventures of Louisiana and Dudley Vandenborre, famous for his Deadly Dudley lures, make regular appearances on Louisiana fishing shows, sharing expertise and tips on where fish are biting.

Basic info: Charters often start just before daylight and end early afternoon. Most charters can carry five or six people. You don’t need to know the difference between spinnerbait and jigging spoons; most welcome anglers of all skill levels and all ages, too. You’ll need to make a reservation. You won’t have to clean your fish; your captain does that for you. For more information, visit FISHTHENORTHSHORE.COM

DEADLY DUDLEY LURES

Introduced in 1999 by St. Tammany charter captain Dudley Vandenborre, the lures have gone from being manufactured in his garage for a few close friends to being distributed nationwide through companies like Academy Sports & Outdoors and Amazon. Famous Deadly Dudley TerrorTail lures are legendary for pulling monster trout from Lake Pontchartrain and Louisiana waters. Purple glo/chartreuse, avocado and blue moon/chartreuse are popular colors used by Louisiana fishermen. Bay Choveys are a favorite, too. DEADLYDUDLEY.COM

PHOTO DEB BURST

Reeling in the Fun

CATEGORY5OUTDOORS.COM

Captain Mike Jones (below) preparing to depart from the dock at Fairview-Riverside State Park.

Party on a Pontoon Bring your brood or collect your friends and come aboard this big ol’ boat

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aptain Mike Jones is the charming, sun-kissed host of Louisiana Tours and Adventures. He’s eager to introduce his guests to the waterways he grew up on and he’s happy to deliver a private pontoon tour with a tailor-made itinerary.

Navigating the scenic Tchefuncte River and Lake Pontchartrain is his specialty, and a popular launching spot is Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville. Stately oak trees, standing at attention with delicate moss dripping from the branches, drape over the winding road leading to the launch. Friendly campers smile from their lawn chairs or take a break from fishing at the dock, happy to give a wave or a greeting.

On a recent tour, electric green cypress trees framed the squeaky-clean boat, and a curious alligator swam nearby as Captain Mike genially accepted the ice chests hoisted his way, packed with snacks and drinks. We motored out onto the Tchefuncte River, past the historic Otis House Museum at Fairview-River-

side, and settled in as the sun started to set and both boat and friends were bathed in a golden glow.

Some families bring their bathing suits and venture down Mike’s ladder to swim at Brady Island, a popular swimming spot off the Tchefuncte River. A bachelor party took advantage of a rope swing, trying to impress each other with feats of strength, flips and cannonballs. Not everyone chooses to get wet, though.

Trips to the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse, best seen by boat and a landmark of St. Tammany since it was built in 1837, are always memorable, especially at sunset. It’s also fun to moor up for a waterfront meal and cocktails at Morton’s, or to groove along to live music at T-Rivers Bar and Grill. However you choose to plan your itinerary, Captain Mike is sure to show you a great time.

Three and five-hour custom tours available for groups of up to six people. Call Captain Mike at 985-789-9602.

LOUISIANATOURSANDADVENTURES.COM

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 33

Luke and Hank Hidalgo hiking the Boy Scout Boardwalk

Take a Hike

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he Northshore has miles of peaceful hiking trails in accessible outdoors. Pack a backpack and commune with nature. In this part of Louisiana, you’ll find the terrain easy to navigate and the elevation no more than a gentle slope. Let the fresh air of the Northshore’s piney woods rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

Lovely Northlake Nature Center is a 400-acre preserve located along the banks of Bayou Castine. There are about seven miles of trails taking you through three different ecosystems. Among the sights: A grove of giant magnolias, boardwalk overlooking a beaver lodge and, if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the center’s flock of wild turkeys.

Over in Lacombe, Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Reserve offers 15,000 acres of south Louisiana ecosystems.

Visitors enjoy hiking, fishing and birding along its waterways and trails. The 34 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

two-mile Boy Scout Road Interpretive Trail includes a boardwalk and overlook at Bayou Lacombe, and birders will likely spot the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker here.

The state park trails at Fairview-Riverside in Madisonville and Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville also offer boardwalks and plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting and birding (over 400 species have been recorded at Fontainebleau).

Other spots to check out are the Lake Ramsey Savannah WMA and the Nature Conservancy’s Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve which features the Pitcher Plant Boardwalk.

If a leisurely stroll is more your speed, walk along Lakeshore Drive’s paved path in Mandeville. The cool breezes off Lake Pontchartrain and the shimmering sunlight on the water will make your heart sing.

PHOTOS MARCI HIDALGO (2)

A leisurely stroll or a power walk will recharge your batteries on any one of our nature trails

Kayaking Bayou Castine with Canoe and Trail Outfitters

PHOTO ERIC LINDBERG

Paddle Through the Past One of the best ways to experience the mystical bayou is to kayak through a landscape untouched by time

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ith scenic rivers, bayous and Lake Pontchartrain to explore, the Northshore is a great spot for paddlers.

There are a number of easily accessible launch spots across the area. You can bring your own gear but you don’t have to. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards are available for rent at several locations, or there are tour operators happy to take you out for a day on the water.

Bayou Adventure offers sunset paddles down Cane Bayou to the lake just in time to catch the glorious pink, purple and gold sunsets we have come to expect here. Enjoy the scenery — watch for osprey and eagles, boar on the banks and alligators in the reeds under moss-draped branches — or try your luck fishing from your kayak.

Your one-stop shop for bait, snacks and gear, Bayou Adventure is also servicing nearby Fontainebleau State Park and its guests

in a new public-private partnership with the Louisiana Office of Tourism. You can find bikes, kayaks and paddleboards available for rent.

Canoe and Trail Adventures’ guides are Louisiana Master Naturalist certified, and are great for pointing out the wildlife along the way and sharing knowledge about the waterways and its flora and fauna. They also offer rentals of paddleboards, family canoes and kayaks launching from the popular Chimes Restaurant on the scenic Bogue Falaya River.

After you work up an appetite paddling, slurp some fresh Gulf oysters shucked on-site, or enjoy Louisiana specialties like alligator, crawfish etouffée, BBQ shrimp or red beans and rice (see related story on page 18). The kids will love playing on the boardwalk and meeting the Chimes’ resident goats. Parents will appreciate n of beer on tap. the extensive collection

Sailing We Will Go DELAUNE SAILING CHARTERS LOCATED IN MANDEVILLE OFFERS 2.5-HOUR CRUISES ON LAKE

Pontchartrain for up to six passengers on his beautiful Windward Passage, a 42-foot Hunter Passage yacht. This comfortable, stable vessel has great views and comfortable seating in the cockpit and aft lounging area.

Excursions sail out of Bayou Castine, a lush area of Southeast Louisiana nestled between Mandeville and Fontainebleau State Park. There’s ample opportunity to see abundant wildlife and plants, and in spring, migrating birds. Two trips are offered per day; a Midday Trip and a Sunset Sail, seven days a week (call for details). Every charter is custom-catered for guests. Beverages and snacks are provided, along with complimentary Champagne on the Sunset Sail.

Check availability and book your excursion with Delaune Sailing Charters at (504) 4581013. Advance purchase is required. Trips launch from the east end of Prieto Marina, 1298 Madison Street in Mandeville. Sailing lessons are also available; ask for details when you call Captain Rick to book your trip. DELAUNESAILINGCHARTERS.COM LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 35

CONNECT

Northshore residents live among the ghosts of St. Tammany’s past.

Experience history at places like scenic Camp Salmen in Slidell, the Bayou Lacombe Museum or on a self-guided walking tour of Old Mandeville.

PHOTO ROBERTA CARROW-JACKSON

LOOKING BACK

St. Tammany timeline

Interpretive Ranger Kenneth LeCroy pointing out one of the old plantation structures.

The Choctaw inhabit the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, which they called Okwa’ta (meaning “wide water”).

1830

1812

The Republic of West Florida is formed to revolt against Spanish authority in the area — and lasts 74 days.

Louisiana admitted to the Union in April. West Florida resists but becomes part of the state five months later.

Bernard de Marigny builds sugar plantation (now Fontainebleau State Park), then founds Mandeville a few miles west.

Tourism boom begins in Abita Springs when a doctor declares the area’s local springs have restorative qualities.

1956

1887

Explorers Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d’Iberville and Jean Batiste LeMoyne Sieur de Bienville check out the Northshore.

The U.S. acquires 828,000 square miles of territory in the Louisiana Purchase, which does not include St. Tammany Parish.

1810

1803

1699

1600 B.C.

Originally home to Choctaw and other tribes, the Parish has been shaped by various cultures and events

First span of the 24-mile Pontchartrain Causeway is built, creating the longest continuous bridge over water in the world.

A Font of Knowledge at Fontainebleau Louisiana's most visited state park has lush landscapes and vivid history on display BY BETH D’ADDONO

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op into the visitor center at Fontainebleau State Park, a 2,800-acre emerald swath east of Mandeville between U.S. 190 and Lake Pontchartrain, and you’re going to learn something.

Kenneth LeCroy, the park’s Interpretive Ranger, will see to it.

LeCroy, who worked at Chicot State Park in Ville Platte before joining the Fontainebleau team this year, is in love with his office. Fontainebleau started as a sugar plantation owned by Bernard de Marigny, the Frenchman for whom the Marigny neighborhood in New Orleans is named, and who also founded of the city of Mandeville. There’s still a vestige of the sugar mill that dates back to 1829, along with a wild array of landscapes that includes a

sand beach, miles of wooded trails, a fishing pier, campsites and popular rental cabins that extend on piers onto the lake.

Every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, LeCroy leads free guided tours of the park at 10 a.m.; 90 minutes of communing with nature that might include sightings of nutria, deer and the occasional gator.

From outdoor rambles to chats about the area’s geology and native peoples, the history of the plantation (which at one time included 153 slaves), and the wide array of critters and insects that make Fontainebleau their home, LeCroy is a font of knowledge about the park and its roots.

Have a question? Just ask. 62883 HWY. 1089, MANDEVILLE (985) 624-4443

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 37

FIVE SPOTS ... to visit history

FONTAINEBLEAU SUGAR MILL RUINS

Dating to 1829, the old brick ruins are all that is left of the sugar plantation and mill built

by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, founder of the town that would take his name.

Located on the lovely grounds of Fontainebleau State Park.

62883 HIGHWAY 1089, MANDEVILLE OTIS HOUSE MUSEUM

Historic Camp Salmen

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oday, Camp Salmen is a lovely 130-acre nature park maintained

by St. Tammany Parish for visitors to enjoy. The peaceful respite has 3.3 miles of an interpretive journey’s trail system in various stages of development, a boundless Kids Unlimited playground, boardwalks and an accessible amphitheater located on Bayou Liberty, with plenty of opportunities for exploration. Budding botanists appreciate the Camp Salmen Live Oak, accessed via the Camp Ridge Trail and listed on the Live Oak Society Registry, as well as the presence of pitcher plants sprinkled through the boggier areas of the park. Hikers and bikers are thrilled with the recent extension of the Tammany Trace into the park.

Camp Salmen’s scenic setting along Bay-

ou Liberty in Slidell is also a site of significant historical interest in St. Tammany.

In the late 1700s, the property of Camp Salmen was awarded as a land grant by Spanish governor Esteban Mirò. In the early 1800s, Joseph Laurent acquired the land and is thought to have built one of the oldest trading posts in the Bayou Liberty Region there. Worth noting: As a result of fires in New Orleans in 1788 and 1794, much of today’s French Quarter was built with bricks and building supplies from the Northshore.

Laurent’s trading post, a French Creole-style cottage that was later renamed Salmen Lodge, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

35122 PARISH PARKWAY, SLIDELL

Mandeville's Historic Walking Tour

THE CITY OF MANDEVILLE , RICH IN HISTORY AND FOUNDED BY BERNARD DE MARIGNY

de Mandeville in 1834, recently announced Phase I of a new electronic historical tour of Mandeville. Twenty points of interest, including the Dew Drop Jazz Hall, the Lang House and the Rest A While, have QR (Quick Response) code markers installed on-site that share the stories of these unique locations, bringing history to life. Visitors on this self-guided tour scan the QR code on their mobile smart device to access a quick history of the site. Begin the tour at the Mandeville Trailhead & Cultural Interpretive Center at 675 Lafitte Street (the old rail depot) and go to the CityofMandeville.com for a complete listing of locations.

38 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

Guided tours of this late 19th-century lumber baron’s home include memorabilia and photographs from the area. The Queen Anne-style home is on the grounds of FairviewRiverside State Park.

119 FAIRVIEW DRIVE, MADISONVILLE SLIDELL MUSEUM

Housed in the town’s old jail, the museum displays two floors of photos and memorabilia from Slidell’s history as well as the South’s role in the Civil War. 2020 FIRST ST., SLIDELL BAYOU LACOMBE MUSEUM

The oldest existing wooden schoolhouse in St. Tammany Parish is home to exhibits featuring the Choctaw tribes that inhabited Lacombe and other attractions. 61115 SOUTH ST. MARY STREET, LACOMBE THE LANG HOUSE

Tour the Jean Baptiste Lang house, one of the few “Anglo-Creole” structures still standing in Old Mandeville, and hear the history of Mandeville as a resort community for antebellum New Orleans.

605 CARROLL ST., MANDEVILLE

Waxing Nostalgic in Olde Towne Andy Griffith would approve BY BETH D’ADDONO PHOTOS CHERYL GERBER; ERIC LINDBERG; KEVIN GARRETT

O

lde Towne Slidell is a blast from the past, a small-town gem that channels the Northshore’s version of Mayberry, where TV sheriff Andy doled out homespun wisdom like bags of penny candy. Here in Olde Towne, a 10-squareblock district of historic buildings, specialty shops, restaurants and museums steps from Bayou Bonfouca, it’s possible to stroll and soak in the kind of Main Street hospitality that does a body good.

One bite of Play-Doh flavored ice cream, which tastes vaguely like wedding cake, and a flood of childhood memories rushes in. After all, who didn’t nibble on Play-Doh as a kid, figures Frank Johnson, owner of Old Town Slidell Soda Shop and a dairy-savant when it comes to conjuring homemade ice cream flavors. The Soda Shop, with its vast collection of more than 800 ice cream scoops and bins of retro sweets (candy cigarette anyone?) is a throwback to a simpler, sweeter time.

Next door at Green Oaks Apothecary,

owner Brandee Santini is a font of knowledge, dispensing natural herbs and soaps, essential oils and products sourced sustainably from organic ingredients, along with friendly advice and plenty of smiles.

It’s just gents in line for a haircut and a shave at Cornibe’s Barber Shop, a downtown tradition since 1932. Ask for Bob, as he’s been trimming shaggy locks for 64 years. Settle into a well-worn old timey leather barber chair for a haircut ($15) and a straight razor shave ($11).

Feeling peckish? Pull up a chair at KY’s Olde Town Bicycle Shop, just one of the downtown eateries that can satisfy. Originally a millinery store in the early 1900s, the historic building had a run as a family-owned grocery, then took off as a bike and lawnmower shop in the late 1960s.

The welcoming bar and restaurant, with its ceiling scape of two-wheeled transportation, serves a freewheeling American comfort menu of breakfast, fried seafood, burgers and plate specials.

LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM | 39

Hollywood South Some of the world's most popular and celebrated movies were filmed here in the Parish BY ROBERTA CARROW-JACKSON

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rom music festivals to performing arts to nightlife and visual arts, communities of the Northshore love to be entertained, and that includes movies and TV. Free, outdoor movie screenings on summer evenings and film festivals bring community together in Mandeville, Covington and Slidell for entertainment and to socialize. But the Northshore doesn’t just love entertain40 | LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

ment—we ARE entertainment.

The parish has become an essential part of the film industry boom that’s taken place in Louisiana since the late 1990s, and little wonder, too: Diverse, evocative settings make it an ideal place for storytelling.

Charming small towns with a variety of architectural styles. Horse farms tucked into rolling hills. Ancient cypress swamplands and bottomland forests. Waterfront

PHOTO COURTESY ED AND SUSAN POOLE

communities with rows of fishing cabins.

These places and more have helped bring stories to life, serving the inspiration of filmmakers for decades of features and short films, docuseries, commercials and travel series.

In fact, you’ve probably already seen St. Tammany on the silver screen, even if you didn’t realize it.

Columbia Street in Covington has been many things. For Lifetime’s Pregnancy Pact, it was transformed to resemble a New England marine town. For Netflix’s The Highwaymen, 1934 Bienville Parish.

And for Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long, John Goodman waved from a wagon for a 1930’s street parade.

Fontainebleau State Park has been the mysterious and romantic setting for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Beautiful Creatures and NCIS New Orleans, as well as the backdrop for Beyoncé’s series of narrative videos and documentary of her Grammy-winning 2016 album, Lemonade.

Deep in the forest of towering pines and hardwoods north of Covington (seen when driving the Highway 21 scenic byway) was the location for nighttime scenes in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and in Miller’s Crossing. Ruby’s Roadhouse set the scene for a pivotal moment in the Academy Award-winning The Green Book and doubled as a New Orleans nightclub in HBO’s acclaimed series Tremé. Fairview-Riverside State Park’s Otis House was the center of the action in The Beyond and Eve’s Bayou.

Beasts of the Southern Wild, How to Train Your Dragon, Dead Man Walking and many more were filmed in St. Tammany. You’ll find an inventory with hundreds of film posters on the website of local film aficionados Ed and Susan Poole.

When they’re here, film industry personalities, location scouts, producers and crew love hanging out at cafés, shopping and checking out the nightlife. Some loved it so much, they’ve moved here, joining a long tradition of writers and artists who call St. Tammany home.

In loving memory of Explore the Northshore’s founding editor Renée Kientz, 1953-2019

PHOTO LANA GRAMLICH

Enter to Win

A Northshore Getaway Go to www.LouisianaNorthshore.com/getaway, sign up to receive emails, and you’ll automatically be entered to win a trip for two!

THE GETAWAY

PHOTO KEVIN GARRETT

Two-night stay at the Fontainebleau State Park cabins Sunset kayak paddle with Bayou Adventure Tour with Cajun Encounters Dinner at LOLA in Covington Dinner at Oxlot 9 in the Southern Hotel Breakfast at Liz’s Where Y’at Diner Lunch at Palmettos on the Bayou Northshore culinary & brewery basket

GO TO LOUISIANANORTHSHORE .COM/THINGS-TO - DO/TOP -TEN FOR MORE VACATION IDEAS .