Be prepared for a treat of eclectic taste sensations at Mandeville’s 124 Restaurant & Spirits. Owner Kevin S. Foil has achieved an innovative cottage restoration that retains a sense of history, allowing cozy interior spaces with antique fireplaces to open up with windows flowing toward the lush greenery of Mandeville’s lakefront area. Chef Chuck Fisher leads a culinary team dedicated to creating unparalleled dining experiences with a menu that captures the essence of contemporary fusion cuisine. His dishes reflect his creative flair with imaginative presentations and unique combinations of flavors.

Toasted Pecan
and Curry Fried Oysters
with Fennel Beurre Blanc

Pecan Meal

1 cup pecan pieces
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Drizzle honey over pecans. Mix spices together and dust over pecans. Bake mixture in preheated 350Þ oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Grind in a food processor until a fine meal texture.

Curry Flour

2 cups yellow corn flour
(not corn meal)
1/4 cup Indian curry powder
1 cup pecan meal
1/2 cup Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning

Combine above ingredients. Set aside.

Fennel Beurre Blanc

1/4 cup Pernod or Anisette
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
Fresh fennel fronds (green feathery tops of fennel)

Pour Pernod into a small heavy skillet and heat on high until Pernod flames. When flames subside, allow to reduce by half. Add the honey and a good pinch of fennel, blending thoroughly. Emulsify the cold butter cubes into the sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.

Additional ingredients

1 dozen oysters
Vegetable oil sufficient for deep-frying oysters
1/2 fresh mango, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
6 pecan halves, baked in a 350Þ oven until toasted

Lightly dredge oysters through the curry flour and fry until golden. To serve, set oysters atop the fennel butter and garnish with sliced mango and toasted pecans.

VINCENT’S ITALIAN CUISINE

When Vincent’s Italian Cuisine opened just inside the Pine Tree Plaza on Highway 22, it brought a sixteen-year tradition as a great neighborhood trattoria to Mandeville. Co-owners Paul Richards and Billy Theard are the genial hosts. Their menu reflects a familiar offering of Sicilian and Northern Italian classics. Chef Ben Thibodeaux, falling back on his Louisiana culinary training, combines native seafood influences to create such outstanding dishes as Sautéed Italian Oysters.

Sautéed Italian Oysters

1 dozen fresh oysters
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 cup scallions (green onions), chopped
1 pinch fresh red pepper, crushed
Pinch black pepper, freshly ground
Salt to taste
1-2 cups plain flour
Capellini (angel hair) pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat olive oil, and then add garlic and scallions, tossing lightly. Set aside. Dredge oysters in plain flour. Sear oysters in olive oil, seasoning with salt and red and black pepper. Toss oysters so they will cook to a brown crisp on all sides.

Drain freshly cooked capellini. Top pasta with oysters and olive oil sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

OYSTER QUEEN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND OYSTER BAR

Oysters reign at this Mandeville restaurant, where owners Kanetha Chau and Taehwan Oh have taken great care in choosing the finest oysters available for such varied selections as fresh Oysters on the Half Shell, Oyster Queen Gumbo, Steamed or Fried Oysters and their signature dish, Charbroiled Oysters. This husband and wife team has pooled more than twenty-seven years of culinary experience into their three successful northshore restaurants - Osaka in Slidell, Osaka West in Covington and Oyster Queen Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Mandeville. When Kanetha explains her passion for fine seafood, her eyes sparkle as she recalls, “In my native Thailand, our souls are connected to the sea. The northshore communities have made me feel right at home with their strong sense of family, and they remind me of the small fishing village that I am from.” With one bite of their delicious food, you can taste the commitment to excellence that both Kanetha and Taehwan have brought to their cuisine.

Charbroiled Oysters

1 dozen fresh oysters on the half-shell (loosened from shell)
Oyster water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1 pinch dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons finely grated
Parmesan cheese

Melt butter, and then add olive oil, garlic and parsley. Set aside. Place oysters on the open half-shells directly onto hot grill, making sure they are covered with adequate oyster water for steaming. Cook for 1-2 minutes, basting with additional oyster water until oysters begin to steam. Brush on butter-garlic sauce and continue to cook on the grill for 1 minute. Top each oyster with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.