sHTo P aLK
BY LEE CUTRONE
SHOPPING NEWS BY CARRIE MARKS
Garden Variety raditionally, the term beer garden (from the German biergarten) refers to an open-air establishment that serves brew, drinks and local culinary specialties. With 80 beers, an enlarged deck and a soon-to-be introduced menu of pub-style food, Bayou Beer Garden (326 N. Jefferson Davis Pkwy., 302-9357; www.bayoubeergarden.com) lives up to its name. Housed in an early 20th-century Arts and Crafts-style structure, this Mid-City bar features a porch and outside tables where patrons can enjoy libations and the scenery. “There are seats out front, but the hidden gem is out back,” says New Orleans Fire Department District Chief Dean DiSalvo, who coowns Bayou Beer Garden with bartender Fiona Delargy. At the venue’s rear, a sprawling shaded deck and patio provide more than 2,000 square feet of space. Flowering plants and tropical greenery surround the deck and a back bar. During warmer months, patrons use the deck to watch football games and hold Bartender Kelly Lafleur serves business meetings. Within the next month there will be live music on Sunday Bayou Beer Garden’s selection of afternoons. When burgers, Buffalo wings and sandwiches become available this more than 150 liquors month, DiSalvo expects lunchtime crowds to keep the bar buzzing. Bayou Beer Garden’s private parking lot is a rare perk for a neighborhood watering hole. “The overwhelming response I get is that (the bar) is comfortable and friendly,” Delargy says. When DiSalvo and Delargy bought the former coffeehouse two years ago, they planned a laid-back environment that would give their diverse clientele plenty of ways to unwind. Inside, crimson walls, wooden tables, a glossy oak bar, a pool table and darts offer a pub-style alternative to the deck. House-made sangria is a popular choice when the temperature rises, and more than 150 liquors and daily bucket specials give patrons an array of drink options. “We’re known for a good drink at a reasonable price,” Delargy says.
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LOVEJOY DAY SPA (200 Metairie Road, Metairie, 828-1997; www.lovejoyspa.com) offers Free Manicure Tuesdays through April 26. Book a pedicure appointment for Tuesday and receive a free manicure. All books, CDs and DVDs are 50 percent off during a special event to celebrate the FRIENDS OF THE NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY’s fifth anniversary of its twice-weekly book sales. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at the LATTER LIBRARY CARRIAGE HOUSE (5120 St. Charles Ave., 596-2625; www.nutrias.org). ESTHETIQUE FACIAL SPA (5702 Magazine St., 896-1006; www.efacialspa.com) hosts a microdermabrasion party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 26. Treatments cost $40 and minimize fine lines, improve pores and relieve other minor skin problems. Call or email efacialspa@gmail.com for appointments. A number of private Uptown and St. Charles Avenue gardens are open for viewing during the 2011 SECRET GARDENS TOURS from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, March 25, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 26. Tickets for Friday tours, which are led by landscape professionals, cost $60, and tickets for Saturday’s self-guided tours are $25. Call 838-3098 or visit www.secretgardenstour.org to buy tickets, which benefit the BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF LOUISIANA and programs that serve brain injury survivors.
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