It was exactly a year ago that we first experienced Pat’s Rest Awhile. We might even have gone on the very first or second night. It was New Year’s Eve, and we stopped as we decided whether or not to go across the lake to Andrea’s for his NYE bash. It was rainy and foggy, and even though it was only 24 miles away, it seemed infinite looking into the dark abyss of the lake that night.
There was plenty of time to make any decision. The evening was young, and it was the festive night of the year, the one that goes on late, later, etc. depending on the individual. This individual would do late, but the individual I’m with doesn’t see the point of any of it. We would plan the rest of the night at this “early” seating, as all restaurants around town were calling it.
Pat’s Rest Awhile is a seafood joint, but somehow joint doesn’t apply. It is the latest iteration of a place with a storied local history. Pat’s Rest Awhile sits in the front of a very large tract of land that goes back to the next street behind Lakeshore Drive on the Mandeville lakefront. In the last half of the 19th century, it served as a camp for unwed mothers but started out as a hotel when the Northshore was a resort area. Sadly, it has spent a very large portion of its time as a relic of the past, vacant and deteriorating. In 1998 we had a personal connection to it since it served as a Girl Scout Camp for a week, where Tom was the only daddy volunteer counselor.
A few years ago, someone with a lot of money teamed with Pat Gallagher of Northshore steak fame to conceive this fabulous new life for the place. In the last century and a half, hurricanes ravaged most of the buildings and cabins, leaving only three, plus the main building in the front of the tract on Lakeshore Drive. The remaining buildings were moved to the front, flanking the main building, and all were elevated off the ground and put onto pilings that Pat told us would survive another hundred years of hurricanes. Brick walkways and patios were built downstairs, and upstairs the main building was refurbished with reclaimed wood and sinker cypress, and then surrounded by the three tiny outer cabins and a new construction raw bar. All are connected by a large outdoor seating area. I get giddy just thinking about the genius of this repurposing of old buildings.
The main building has a bar and the kitchen, while the three other buildings became a private room, (circa 1850), bathrooms (circa 1870), and an adults-only bar (circa 1920.)
Since that first night when Pat took us on a tour, we have eaten at Pat’s Rest Awhile nearly every weekend, experiencing ups and very slight downs, concluding after eating our way through the menu that the place is exactly as we thought the very first night: a terrific addition to not only the Northshore dining scene but the entire metro New Orleans area. It’s our go-to for anyone driving to meet us from the south shore. (Most of them don’t want to drive further north anyway, so thanks Pat!) We thought it might be fun on this first anniversary to revisit a year in eating.
It’s the place my extended family gathered to celebrate Tom’s birthday, again, a few days after the official party at Antoine’s. Tom’s sisters have met us there. We’ve brought our neighbor the farmer there, and Daniel the gourmet cellist, dear friends like Dominic Massa and Errol and Peggy Laborde, and a very special friend and his new girl. And my friend Maria and her family had a great time with us there once lingering in the sun.
For each of those groups, Tom and I have gone alone 5 times as much, so it’s a favorite. Along the way, I have learned a lot about the menu.
Tom’s birthday was in February, so the place had not been open that long. It was an enormous group and a lot of different things came to the table. My sister got one thing - corn and crab soup. I still think about that soup, but I have not seen it on the menu since then. The deliciousness of that soup set me off in a direction that has only let me down. I do not care for the soups at Pat’s Rest Awhile. Absolutely every one I have had since was disappointing until I finally quit. Too bad.
My discovery when Daniel came to visit was a happy one. He ordered a shrimp poor boy, which is something I never do in a restaurant. His order prompted me to get Tom one with catfish. I don’t know what it was about the bread on that sandwich that day, but it is the pinnacle of poor boys I have had. The bread was toasted just so, had a great crumb-to-crust ratio, and was loaded to the max with crispy light golden brown and greaseless seafood. The dressings were piled high too, and the whole sandwich (both of them) stood four or five inches tall. It was a sight to behold. Both were served with fries unworthy of such a sandwich, but they were still okay.
They serve two types of fries: thin frozen fries with a garlic sauce, and basic frozen fries tossed in Creole seasoning. We tried both and always go with the latter, though the endless supply chain difficulties have resulted in a far lesser quality fry. I don’t even eat them any more.
None of the food at the lunch with Daniel was as memorable as a comment he made which was a sad revelation to him. “I just don’t think many people really care about food,” he lamented, still trying to process this shocking realization. That, we explained, is what makes the Food Show and Tom’s life’s work so important and special.
My friend Maria and her husband are in the seafood business and were totally smitten by the place when they visited with their son. They were especially delighted with the chargrilled oysters, which is a favorite dish of theirs anywhere. This dish is distinctive at Pat’s. I find them really salty, which is not a complaint, just an observation. I was told by a waiter that the oysters are chosen for their salinity. These are also different in that they are more toasted breadcrumby on top than cheesy, a distinction I would normally oppose, but for some reason, I like it here. It is served with four connected slices of French bread toasted very appealingly, not charred. On that meal, we tried the sticky wings as an appetizer. We liked them very well for what they are, a nice appetizer for a few people. Wings that are too large offend me, and these were neither too large nor too small. The sauce was nice…and sticky, as promised.
Another appetizer discovery occurred when our friends Dominic Massa, and Errol and Peggy Laborde joined us. This time we got barbecue shrimp, which was a good version over cornbread. Another appetizer on the table was the onion rings, which are thin and crispy, and coated with a batter with crystal hot sauce in the mix. These would have wowed me from the first time I had them, but Andy’s Bistro in Metairie did them first (and better.) But these are a crowd-pleaser too, as my family discovered at the beginning of their visit.
When we sat with our neighbor, we noticed that the cheesecake here is pretty yum. It tends to be a little drier than expected, but was nicely tart as good cheesecake should be. We tend to stick with the coffee and chicory creme brulee which we got the very first night here. It is a divine little cup of dark creme brulee with a perfect Brulee ceiling, served alongside two delectable white shortbread cookies. With a sprig of fresh mint on top, it makes an arresting presentation. Tom is absolutely hooked on this, though I could break with my no-dessert policy for that cheesecake my neighbor got.
When our dear friend and his new girl came over, we got the crabcake, which Tom and I often get when it’s just us. It is a very large thing for a very small price and is served over maque choux and topped with a white remoulade sauce. This is a favorite appetizer for value and just plain goodness.
At other times I have had the burger, which is an excellent steakhouse burger (it is Pat Gallagher after all,) served with the same ordinary fries. We have had the trout amandine, cedar-planked redfish, the ribs, which aren’t especially smoky but are still good and worth getting) Chili glazed shrimp, wedge salad, beet salad, (not many little beet cubes but a divine fried feta cheese coin or two and a nice dressing) chicken tenders and fries (which really hit the spot when you want this kiddie dish), and the fried chicken sandwich (not as good as its counterparts everywhere else), smoke gouda mac’n’cheese, grilled tuna, and Caeser salad with grilled chicken. Tom keeps ordering Oysters Rockefeller soup, which is very good and is served with oysters crackers, something rarely seen.
All of this is recommended (it is Pat Gallagher after all) and you can be safe when ordering. We usually stick with the burger or fried seafood (mainly because we are boring.) And of course every meal starts with the chargrilled oysters. But there are specials on the weekend that are very appealing, like a salmon BLT, special burger, etc.
There are a few things that annoy me here, like the absurdly small thimble-sized portion of coleslaw. What is this about? And the seafood combos are two only. If you want a third seafood it must be ordered individually, like $2 per oyster. Catfish by the piece. Why? For a long time I was on a tirade about the Coke plastic tumblers in a place where an $80 bill is the norm for two (no alcohol.), but my umbrage has simmered into grudging acceptance.
In the end, though, Pat’s Rest Awhile is still the place we take everyone from the Southshore who wants to meet us to eat. The place is gorgeous, the views of the lake exhilarating, the breezes from the lake comfortable even on a hot day, consistently great food and constantly improving service are all reasons why absolutely everyone who meets us is delighted with their discovery, vowing to return, regardless of the distance traveled.
If you like Blue Crab and Middendorf’s for the obvious reasons, don’t miss this one. Worth the trip.
