As the phoenix rose from the ashes, Alex Patout’s Restaurant on the Mandeville lakefront has once again opened its doors to welcome an appreciative summer crowd. The historic site was closed last year following a catastrophic fire.

The impressive two-story, 1830s French colonial-style cottage, one of Mandeville’s oldest structures, was a successful restaurant run by the Bechac family for more than a century.

“The fire devastated me,” says Patout. “I know how important this restaurant has been to people for so many generations. It was a hangout for politicians during the heyday of the ‘Louisiana Hayride’ (the late ‘30s scandal that sent many state officials to jail). It was like the Algonquin Hotel (in New York) for (Covington author) Walker Percy, who held round table discussions every Thursday with famous actors and writers. It’s more than a building. More than a restaurant. It’s a piece of Louisiana history.”

Restoration work following the fire included a new roof and attic, with the kitchen and much of the second floor reconstructed, as well. With the re-opening, delighted guests are once again being treated to a captivating view of Lake Pontchartrain, while feasting on Patout’s superb version of Louisiana cuisine prepared by executive chef Pete Kusiw.

The bayou-born Patout was schooled in classic Cajun cookery in his hometown of New Iberia. After moving to New Orleans, he became enamored with Creole specialties and has since developed his own innovative blend of the two regional culinary styles.

Named one of America’s 25 hottest chefs by Food & Wine magazine and called “a tyrant, genius chef” by Esquire, Patout’s mastery continues to garner accolades with New Orleans classics like Crabmeat Imperial and Shrimp Remoulade.

While Patout’s French Quarter restaurant leans toward contemporary refinements of traditional dishes, the northshore menu is, in his words, “more playful” - and easier on the wallet.

Some have questioned Patout’s inventive use of classic ingredients, such as Louisiana shrimp and crawfish stuffed in won tons on a bed of mango chutney. He also fills cabbage rolls with turtle sauce piquante. Patout just laughs. “Taste it. And then tell me it’s not the best thing you ever ate. I dare you.”

Both Alex Patout locations are open nightly from 5 p.m. The Mandeville restaurant is once again serving the Sunday brunch it was famous for.

Whiz Kid

Meet Trevor Cassidy. Visionary, computer guru, television broadcaster - and, oh yes, Mandeville High School sophomore. The next logical entry should be something along the lines of entrepreneurial genius, which is actually not too far off the mark.

A driven and ambitious northshore teen, Cassidy was recently named Student Entrepreneur of the Year by WDSU News Channel 6 and the Business Alliance of the University of New Orleans. The 18th annual Business-Education Awards competition presented by Pan-American Life recognized local businesses and individuals who foster education as the most important means of economic development.

Cassidy was among those nominated throughout the 10-parish metro New Orleans area for his single-handed efforts to design and install an interschool television station at his former school, Mandeville Junior High.

After touring WDSU in New Orleans on his 13th birthday, Cassidy was inspired to create a station for his school. He realized early on, however, that he would need community partners to get a school TV station operational. He initiated contact with WDSU, and was introduced to station general manager Mason Granger and assistant chief engineer N. Kevin Burris. Together, they worked with Cassidy to make his vision a reality. Training fellow students in the use of equipment, Cassidy directed, edited, and produced the initial broadcast for WMJH, in addition to developing the station’s award-winning website.

Now an honor student at Mandeville High School, Cassidy continues to return to WMJH weekly, serving as unofficial general manager and mentor to the broadcast team. “I’ll always come back to WMJH,” says Cassidy, who is now spearheading a fundraising effort to help the school upgrade technical equipment and expand its production capabilities.

Cassidy also uses his innate talents at St. Timothy United Methodist in Mandeville, where he donates his time as audio-visual technician. During the summer he completed a video for the church’s vacation bible school.

Now heavily involved in MBC, Mandeville High’s Broadcasting Company, Cassidy also devotes his time to the school’s marching and concert bands, where he plays trumpet, in addition to working on a personal goal to achieve Eagle Scout.

It’s no wonder that Cassidy has been deemed “a young man to be reckoned with.” As a school administrator notes, “It is said that teachers motivate students. Trevor is the kind of student who motivates teachers.”

If you would like to become a partner in Cassidy’s vision for WMJH, sponsorships are available. Contact Debbie Novosel at Mandeville Junior High, 674-1025.

Celebrating
Louisiana History

Southeastern Louisiana University professors Samuel C. Hyde, Jr. and Michael L. Kurtz are among the scholars who have contributed to a public television series and companion book commemorating Louisiana history.

“Louisiana: An Illustrated History” is the 224-page companion book to Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s landmark documentary series, “Louisiana: A History,” which will premiere on September 14 as part of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial celebration. The late historian Stephen Ambrose wrote the book’s introduction and hosts each of the series’ six one-hour episodes.

Hyde, director of the university’s Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and the Ford Chair in Regional Studies, said the center’s resources, including its photographic collections and his own expertise, were tapped for the book and series. Hyde is the author of “Pistols and Politics: The Dilemma of Democracy in Louisiana’s Florida Parishes,” and has edited two books for the center, “Sunbelt Revolution: The Historical Progression of the Civil Rights Struggle in the Gulf South, 1866-2000,” and “Plain Folk of the South Revisited (1997).” He helped edit the narrative for several segments and was interviewed about Louisiana’s reconstruction period.

Kurtz, dean of the Graduate School, who co-authored a biography of Louisiana Governor Earl Long, was a consultant on the series’ last two episodes, which cover the state’s history from the era of Governor Huey Long to the present. In addition to the Longs, the episodes deal with topics such as governors John McKeithen, Edwin Edwards and Mike Foster; senators Russell Long, Mary Landrieu and John Breaux; and the civil rights movement.

Award-winning screenwriter Charles Richard, author of “Louisiana: An Illustrated History,” weaves a spellbinding tale of the state’s colorful past and present. Image editor, internationally acclaimed documentary producer Tika Laudun, and a staff of researchers searched museums, archives and private collections throughout the world to find historically relevant and rarely seen images to tell the story of Louisiana and her people as never before.

During the writing process, LPB consulted the most knowledgeable and renowned scholars of Louisiana history and utilized hundreds of interviews with people who experienced the most important events of the last century.

Calling All Boys

It is always refreshing to hear about organizations that have a positive impact on young people. The National League of Junior Cotillions offers parents a worthwhile opportunity for their children: a program that builds self-confidence and character, and helps set boundaries of behavior.

Through the efforts of NLJC, which was established in North Carolina in 1978, thousands of students are being taught etiquette, ethics and social dance in hundreds of cotillion programs.

The northshore chapter, headed by Mark and Debbie Grush, offers a two-year program for 6th-9th grade boys and girls. Some of the many skills learned in junior cotillion are everyday and formal manners, character education, citizenship, accountability and handling peer pressure.

Says co-director Mark Grush, “Our students are taught in a fun way to treat others with honor, dignity and respect. Boys learn to rise when a lady enters a room, open doors and pull out chairs, etc. Girls are taught how to act like ladies and to expect nothing less than to be treated as such.”

Both the Slidell and the Mandeville/Covington programs need more boys to complete the upcoming September-through-March class. A total of five classes and two balls are included. Boys wear a coat and tie to all functions; girls are attired in their Sunday best for classes and in semi-formal dress, with gloves, for the balls.

To find out more, contact Mark or Debbie Grush at 643-9785.

Play it Again

Maybe it’s just the hopeless romantic in me, but, when it comes to hearing tender melodies from the 1940s, a harmonizing chord seems to strike in the heart of every listener, no matter what the age.

Luckily for musical connoisseurs, Covington musician Robert Seago is devoted to keeping the Big Band era alive on the northshore. Nearly two years ago, Seago brought together a collection of seasoned musicians to read and perform the early fox trot music manuscripts or charts. The result was the formation of the Sentimental Serenaders.

Inspired by arrangers and musicians such as Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo and Coleman Hawkins - just to name a handful - the orchestra has carved a special niche for people who love the music and like to shake a leg.

Says Seago, “My first objective after recruiting musicians was to build a music library of these early charts. This literally took me all over the world to compile from collections at the Smithsonian and UCLA to sources in Denmark, London and other locales. I have now acquired over 400 original manuscripts.”

The amount of great music that was written from 1920 to 1945 is truly amazing, including stomps, shuffles, cakewalks, jazz, ballads, swing, and everything in between. Some of Seago’s favorite songwriters, such as Hoagie Carmichael, Harry Warren, Harold Arlen, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington, all contributed to this remarkable period of musical history.

“I have never played a gig with this orchestra that didn’t blow the fans away with the style and energy of the music. The driving melodies have all of the appeal of the rhythm and blues scene, but with the added excitement of precision playing from 12 highly skilled musicians. The sound becomes even more irresistible with the addition of three outstanding vocalists - Roy Phister, Ellen Rogers and Zelda Rose. Depending on your age, you can probably sing the lyrics to a majority of the songs, such as “Basin Street Blues” and fox trot ditties like “Why Can’t You Love That Way.”

If songs like “In The Mood,” “Blue Moon,” or Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” aren’t already on your list of favorites, they soon will be once you’ve had the opportunity to hear the Sentimental Serenaders. Call 892-3598 to inquire about their performance schedule. The orchestra also gladly welcomes an audience for their rehearsals, which are scheduled every Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. at the Greater Covington Center at 317 N. Jefferson. I guarantee they’ll put a smile on your face and get your feet moving.

Copyright 2003-2006, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.

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