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REMINDER: Chamber After Hours Thursday 5:30 p.m. Whitney Bank
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SPORTS: DUDEK, Found: Tenacious NFL defense ,"
ARBOUR, PHS Looking Unstoppable
Page 2
www. pon ch atou la. com/pti mes
Openino date planned for November 29
THE NEWSPAPER OF AMERICA'8 ANTIQUE CITY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
I
major
By BRYAN T. McMAHON
When Rockefeller's reopens its doors on November 29, longtime customers will
likely not recognize the place.
The diners seated around
them will hail from all corners
of the planet, with prime seat-
ing out on the sidewalk or on a
patio located between the res-
taurant and Chesterton Square
leading to the new Rockefeller's
OPENIN
FRESH • GLOBAL • VIEt : ANT
oc !< e-t=e I I e
!
Eyeing the crowded street
packed with cars from Jani-
King's Gulf States headquar-
ters on the corner, and other
downtown businesses, Saul Ru-
bio acknowledged the problem
of limited parking.
He said the wait time for
lunch will be decreased, mak-
ing for quick turnaround time,
while extolling the laid-back
nature of downtown Ponchatou-
la where a stroll to and from an
automobile adds to the ambi-
ence of dining out.
A bit later while surveying
the back of the restaurant, Ru-
bio said he will negotiate leases
of available property for the
parking spaces the new Rock-
efeller's will require.
Inside, the new owner em-
phasized what will remain from
the previous dining experience,
such as the huge painting in the
main dining room depicting an
elegant banquet scene, includ-
ing a portrait of the father of
previous owner Dr. Bob Ben-
son. Rubio said the basic bar
area will remain unchanged,
"a great place to gather after
work." This is the location in
the storied building where the
late Bob Troyer's law office was
first located.
Adjacent to the bar in the
new Rockefeller's will be the
new sushi bar with granite
high-top tables.
"I want this to be the nicest
place with the best food, with
music to suit the meals being
served, drawing diners from not
just Madisonville and Spring-
field, but from New Orleans
and beyond. People from New
Orleans love to come up here. I
intend to advertise Rockefeller's
nationally.
"I had intended to make this
a Mexican restaurant but Mi
Patio is doing a great job," said
the native of Queretaro in cen-
tral Mexico. He said he looks
TQLILA
forward to the opportunity to
work with his partner in Rocke-
feller's, Jon Wong, of Trey Yuen
and Cate Street Seafood fame.
"Jon Wong has great ideas. I
have known him for 14 years. He
~s my mentor. It was a privilege
for me that they wanted to do
business together," said Rubio
who says the two have grown so
close, "My brother says I should
switch my name to Wong."
PLEASE SEE PAGE 3
30th YEAR
~
L
3
NUMBER 51
trance.
~:~ Where once there was the
] ]tchen, there will be expanded
!ning space.
Shock is what you would feel
you stepped inside the popu-
lar restaurant today. And with
everything familiar stripped
away, to the walls, stainless
steel sinks and dishwashers and
steamer units and salad serving
islands lined up waiting for re-
deployment, you would need a
guide to make sense of it all.
The perfect guide is co-owner
Saul Rubio. a longtime friend
and an accomplished restaura-
~aUr who owns or co-owns seven
Carreta restaurants, the
Adobe restaurant in Hammond,
and in partnership with Jon
Wong, Rockefeller's.
Rubio says that Rockefeller's
will be his "dream restaurant,"
the one he has always wanted,
and on a walking tour of the gut-
ted restaurant building (where
The Ponchatoula Times got its
start in an office room rented
from Breathe Easy Oxygen
Supply which had the building
back in 1981) Rubio painted his
vision of the new Rockefeller's.
He started his tour in the
front of Rockefeller's, point-
ing to a new sign in the win-
dow with the prominent words
"Fresh," "Global," and '°Vibrant"
summing up his vision of the
new Rockefeller's.
"We will have fresh seafood
and vegetables. The menu will
be beyond fusion, truly global,
Asian and Mexican predomi-
nantly, but not necessarily
mixed. The atmosphere will be
vibrant, and I want my waiters
to be proud of that.
Indicating the front of the
building, Rubio said the ex-
isting entrance will be moved
~round the corner, to the south-
ern side, where a new patio will
be constructed. There and in
the front of the building there
will be tables set up for outdoor
dining. Flower gardens will be
planted to soften the sidewalk
scene.
50 CENTS
Ribbon cut on Caf NOLA
A fine assemblage of friends, politicians, Chamber officials and family members turned
out to formally open Caf~ NOLA for business in the new South Oaks shopping center. La
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Strain, State Rep. Steve Pugh, Police Chief Bry Layrisson,
and Chamber President Dr. Karen Carter joined Mayor Bob Zabbia in cutting the ceremo-
nial ribbon. The popular restaurant has initiated a series of charity dinners to benefit
worthy local groups and causes. (Times Photo)
Get your free U.S. Constitution at The Times
By BRYAN T. McMAHON
In her annual celebration of Constitution Week (September 17-23) 21~t Judicial District Judge
Brenda Bedsole Ricks is again giving away free copies of the U.S. Constitution in booklet form through
The Ponchatoula Times' main office at 145 West Pine Street.
In addition to the Constitu-
tion, the free booklet contains
the Declaration of Indepen-
F
Pugh addresses Ponchatoula Kiwanis Club
Pictured with Kiwanis President Dianne Crim, Rep.
Steve Pugh was the featured speaker at last week's meet-
ing of the Kiwanis Club. (Times Photo)
~s Report
Rep. Steve Pugh detailed the accomplishments of the recent
legislative session, especially benefits to Ponchatoula that were
hard-won in a tough economy, in a speech to his fellow members
of the Ponchatoula Kiwanis Club, with his son Stephen Pugh in
attendance and sharing the head table.
for new sidewalks and drainage
in the city."
'~his year we will have 'only'
a $300 million deficit.
Pugh praised his good rela-
tions with Mayor Bob Zabbia
and gave a glimpse of improve-
PLEASE SEE PAGE 4
5
'"We were faced with a $1.6
billion deficit last year, yet we
resurfaced Pumpkin Center
Road, funded Port Manchac,
made a $6 million payment to
the 1983 flood victims. We were
able to fund the new Ponchatou-
la water tower and find money
dence, fascinating facts about
the Constitution, the founding
fathers, important dates in the
nation's history, 20 landmark
Supreme Court cases, a listing
PLEASE SEE PAGE
Florida Parishes Bank latest to help fight cancer
Purple birds flocked to the Ponchatoula branch of Florida Parishes Bank, dispatched by the Relay For Life team field-
ed by Jani-King to raise funds to fight cancer. Shortly after this photo was taken the birds were sent to another donor in
this innovative drive to raise money for a great cause. (Times Photo)
By OLE HARDHIDE
The Alligator
You do know that Strawberry Queen XL aka Brooke Per-
rin, is a sweet Saintsation - as if we needed another reason to
watch the game. What a team! And now Queen Brooke shim-
mying and shaking all over TV. You go girl! Who Dat! Who
Dat! John Dudek, you cover the burly men in black and gold,
I've got sweet Brooke (Thanks for the heads up, Jeff Wright).
He can compress the most words into
the smallest idea of any man I know."
-- Abraham Lincoln
I believe you should rest these remaining days of September
because October is chock-a-block with all kinds of events, my
favorite being Alligator Day at Klieberts to start the month.
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded
easily." -- Charles, Count Talleyrand
Arden, maybe next time, before you take on the sheriff, his
wife, and his entire family, you might wantto make sure the
taxman has been paid, and all the enemies you have made
are resting quietly in their graves. Okay that last one is im-
possible, I agree, but the taxman?
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."--
Winston Churchill
Guys, you missed any chance you might have imagined
you had winning the hand of Ponchatoula's most beautiful
human girl, Caitlin Fulmer, who did the bride stroll between
the abbey seating at Rosaryville this past week. The Miss you
missed is now a Mrs. It seems like only yesterday she was a
bright and beautiful scholar at Magnolia Montessori School..
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you
here." -- Stephen Bishop
If you are going to get on Mayor Bob's nerves, do try to
avoid the sciatic nerve, it's already taken (ask him).
Ah the Irish and the English...
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my
new play; bring a friend .... if you have one." - George
Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend
second.., if there is one." -Winston Churchill, in re-
sponse
The Ponchatouia Time~ - 145 We~t Pine St. - P.O, Box 743 - Ponch=itouta, LA 70454.074: - edit6¢~l iooChalouia.co~
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