Page 21 - March & April

ROUSES.COM 19
If you only have time to do one thing during NOWFE, make it the Royal Street Stroll.
But do it right. Buy a linen suit — you need to dress cool and comfortable — and book
a hotel room downtown so you can stay the night. The Stroll is a NOWFE signature
event. There’s no other event in the world where you can walk down an historic
street like Royal and taste wines and cocktails and be completely entertained. I dip
in and out of the antique stores along Royal, hit all of the food tents — Rouses,
Antoine’s, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, GW Fins and other great spots — and
often make my last stop the Carousel Bar at the Monteleone Hotel. It’s one of the
world’s great hotel bars, and not a bad place to wind down with friends after a hard
day of tasting great wine and great food.
— NOWFE Board Member, Dan Davis
(the Wine Guy at Commander’s Palace).
The Royal Street Stroll
Zach Strief, Rouses Marketing Director Tim Acosta and Pierre Thomas at the Royal Street Stroll.
A fter being crowned King and Queen
of Seafood at the Louisiana Seafood
Cook-off in 2012 at the New Orleans
Wine and Food Experience, Keith and
Nealy Frentz, owners of Lola Restaurant
in Covington, say business is better than
ever. Despite competing in the contest
the previous year and placing second,
Nealy was overwhelmed with the win,
attributing it to the “home style” spin
she and her husband put on their “simple
and clean” food. Taking inspiration from
Lola’s Friday Lunch Special, which dishes
up local seafood every week, the couple
won by featuring a wild-caught Des
Allemands catfish. The Nealys opened
Lola in 2006 following their evacuation
during Hurricane Katrina and feature
different seafood everyday based on
“what is caught that morning.” The
couple believes in staying local and
“keeping the community alive” by
maintaining business in Louisiana. This
dedication to local flavors, specifically
Louisiana seafood, sealed the deal for
the duo to win the cook-off. Nealy
recommends showcasing “the awesome
local seafood” and staying away from
“heavy ingredients” which can mask the
fresh flavors that judges want. And while
the Frentz’ are only allowed to keep
their title for one year, the exposure it
has brought to their restaurant will keep
business booming for years to come.
King and Queen of Seafood Keep it Local
by Caroline Robinson
"NOWFE is a great way to discover
new food and new wines, but it's also
a truly charitable event. 2012 pro-
ceeds benefited Second Harvest Food
Bank, the Edible Schoolyard, ProStart
and culinary programs at Delgado,
NOCCA, UNO and Nicholls State."
­—Donny Rouse