Last Bite
Old Rail Brewing Company
Owner: Nick Powers; Head Brewer: Matt Horney; Chef: Brett Monteleone
by Lauren Parrish
Owner Nick Powers, Head Brewer Matt Horney
IT’S HARD TO MISS the Old Rail Brewing Company in Old Mandeville. The massive building that houses the micro brew pub is located on Girod Street alongside the Tammany Trace and opposite the Trailhead. Officially opened in July 2013, the Old Rail combines two things that go hand-in-hand: food and beer. But it’s not just any beer. The Old Rail has eight beers on tap that are created in-house by Matt Horney, the head brewer. Horney began home brewing in 2000; after a career change, he began brewing professionally. Owner Nick Powers is quick to emphasize, “We’re not just a bar.” In order to distinguish the Old Rail from The Barley Oak bar on the lakefront, which Powers also owns, the Old Rail brought a chef on board, Brett Monteleone. “We definitely put a lot of thought into the food side, while still maintaining a high-quality beer side,” Powers says. “We really stepped it up on our food here, like our 166
Inside Northside
brisket that is cooked for six hours and shaved in-house. Just about everything is done in-house.” The beer Horney creates strongly influences the Old Rail’s menu. “We incorporate the beer into the food as much as we can, like our beer barbecue and beer mustard,” says Monteleone. “We try to do everything fresh. Our concept is fresh ingredients, good food and good beer.” The beer in two of the eight taps rotates seasonally, and the menu changes frequently. The addition of a smoker added another level to the menu offerings. “You have a vision of something, and it’s forever changing. We’re always trying to better ourselves,” says Monteleone. Long-term, Powers wants more. “I want more locations, I want more beer and I definitely want bigger.” He also wants to go beyond what people usually expect from a brewing company. “I want them to know that we’re unique.”
photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY
and Chef Brett Monteleone.