4 minute read
Late-night Cravings
Gerald Gruenig Explores his Northshore Favorites.
BY GERALD GRUENIG, LOUISIANA AMBASSADOR AND CONTENT CREATOR.
Follow along for more @GeraldGruenig
Gerald! What's happening, baby? My wife and I will be on The Northshore visiting family next weekend. We saw the videos you posted from that on your social pages over the last few months, and I was wondering if you have any late-night recommendations for us while we’re in the area. Thanks.
THIS IS A QUESTION I’VE GOTTEN A FEW TIMES since my videographer, John Weatherall III, and I visited The Northshore at the end of 2024.
One thing you may or may not know about me is that I actually lived on The Northshore from 2005 to 2009 after Hurricane Katrina. I met my wife, Ariel, in 2007, and we have been together ever since. In fact, we still spend just about every major holiday in the Mandeville/Covington/ Lacombe area. We have spent many nights grabbing food and drinks at some awesome spots across St. Tammany Parish when we are home visiting friends and family.
One of our go-to late-night spots is The Barley Oak on the Mandeville Lakefront. Ariel and I enjoy having a couple of beers on their second-floor patio with a world-class view of Lake Pontchartrain. We are normally joined by some friends from high school. It really is such an awesome place to have a pint and enjoy the company of your date, family or friends.
Depending on the night, or how good we’re feeling, after Barley Oak, Ariel and I will make a stop at Grapeful Ape on Jefferson Street in Mandeville to have a few more drinks. If it’s just the two of us, we’ll grab a loveseat in the front window and take in all the vibes.
We love the lakefront in Mandeville, but another spot we enjoy just as much is Downtown Covington! Lately, we’ve been grabbing dinner on a Friday or Saturday night at LOLA or Bon Sake. The atmosphere, food and drinks at both restaurants, while different, hit the spot every time. Depending on our vibe after dinner, we like to make it a point to either have a drink at Southern Hotel’s Cypress Bar or the Columbia Street Tap Room before heading back home to Mandeville. And I almost forgot, if you have room for dessert, you have to make a stop at the famous Butter Krisp Diner on Hwy 190 in Covington for some hot glazed donuts.
To get your grub on in East St. Tammany Parish, I have a few recommendations for you as well. Ariel’s whole side of the family is from Lacombe, so we do spend a significant amount of time in the Slidell/Lacombe area. When I think about restaurants that are open later in that part of the parish, two come to mind: Taqueria Habaneros in Slidell and Chacha's Dhaba Indian Cuisine in Pearl River. The Birria Pizza from Taqueria Habaneros has become extremely popular and is awesome to share among friends. If you’re not in the mood for Mexican, the butter chicken from Chacha's is some of the best in the state. Both Chacha's and Taqueria Habaneros give that hole-in-the-wall feel, and both are open past 7 p.m.
This is the best way I can describe what I normally do on a “late night” on The Northshore. Let’s go, baby!
