THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

Why The Blue Dog Cafe Investors’ Team Made Downtown Lake Charles The

Site Of Its First Expansion

By Brad Goins

The Blue Dog art of the late George Rodrigue is probably the most widely known art produced by any Louisianan.

The little dog with the bright blue coat and nervous yellow eyes is immediately recognized by most long-time Louisiana residents. Rodrigue’s work has appeared in many dozens of venues inside and outside the state, and has long been seen in the Blue Dog Cafe in Lafayette.

Many readers will know that there’s now a Blue Dog Cafe in downtown Lake Charles. What readers may not know is that this restaurant is only part of a large investment in downtown Lake Charles real estate by two brothers who are sons of the late artist — Jacques and Andre Rodrigue — and a third partner, frequent restaurant manager Steve Santillo.

Of all the places the three partners could have chosen for such an investment, why did they pick downtown Lake Charles?

Jacques can break the choice down into three very specific factors:

— the major investment that’s taken place in downtown Lake Charles during the downtown development movement;

— the business that’s expected to come with the anticipated boom; and

—the new I-10 ramp onto Ryan Street.

As Jacques puts it, “We’re so happy to be moving to downtown Lake Charles and seeing so much investment there.” The three factors noted above “made us very interested in moving forward quickly into investing in downtown.”

‘So Many Friends For So Long’

Jacques Rodrigue

There’s more to the story than this focus on business goals. The Rodrigue brothers have had a long and positive history with the city of Lake Charles.

“Lake Charles has always been a great friend of Dad and his art work,” says Jacques. “We’ve had so many friends for so long” in the city.

One reason the brothers came to know so many local residents is that they “were spending so much time in Lake Charles.” Much of this time was devoted to fund raisers conducted in partnership with Memorial Hospital over the last three years.

One of those Lake Charles friends was the individual who got the Rodrigues intrigued with the idea of investing in downtown Lake Charles. As partner Santillo relates, “We got the call from Tom Shearman, and he invited us to Lake Charles to take a look at this building” — the huge 609 Ryan St. property.

Since that call, the Rodrigue brothers and Santillo have invested in three properties on the 600 block of Ryan Street. One of these will be the main dining room of the Blue Dog Cafe. Another will be a bar. And the third will be a banquet, catering and special events room.

All these properties will be art spaces where copies of George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog art will hang on the walls. Much of this art now hangs in the expansive Blue Dog Cafe dining area, which is now open to the public.

While Jacques is quite positive about the whole big project, he’s particularly “excited” that Blue Dog Cafe will bring its popular Sunday brunch to the Lake Charles location. He notes that the brunch at the Lafayette location has been voted Best Sunday Brunch in Acadiana 15 years in a row. Mimosas are served with the brunch.

‘The Right Place At The Right Time’

Before we can see what will come of the Rodrigue brother’s big, tri-part downtown investment, we have to see the Blue Dog Cafe kick the whole thing off by serving food to the Lake Charles public.

As I was preparing this story, Steve Santillo was all but overwhelmed by the prospect of having the new Lake Charles Blue Dog Cafe entirely ready for a “soft opening,” which took place on Nov. 9. As anyone who’s been in the restaurant business knows, an owner or partner who’s preparing for opening day has no time for deep speculation on the abstract principles of downtown development (or any other abstract principles).

That first lunch was a fruitful one for Santillo. When he saw that food prep could be streamlined, he and his staff did some brainstorming. Some equipment was moved and new stainless steel restaurant tables were moved in. By the second day’s lunch, the operation was streamlined and smooth.

Santillo says the Lake Charles venue is the “first expansion” of the Blue Dog Cafe since it first opened in Lafayette in 1999. “We’ve been approached many times,” he says.

In the years since the Blue Dog Cafe opened, the investment group has been courted by such parties as Harrah’s, the Mall of Louisiana and Shreveport casinos. They “didn’t think that any of them was just right” for a Blue Dog Cafe.

When I asked Santillo why the group decided to invest in downtown Lake Charles, he answered, with a smile, “Why not?”

But when he broke down the factors behind the choice, he came up with a list that resembled that of Jacques. Santillo cited the desirable location of the restaurant, the community around it, the people downtown and the “reception” they’ve given him and the Blue Dog. “My affection for the area has just grown.

“The more we worked on [the restaurant the more we felt] the energy downtown.”

It’s “a wonderful combination of an urban feeling and a very welcoming environment.

“It’s perfect in every respect: great place, landlord, building, community.

“We just figured it was the right place at the right time.”

The Luxury Of Lots Of Space

Santillo can’t help but be impressed — as anyone in the restaurant business would be — with the size of the dining area at the 609 Ryan St. building.

He thinks it’s great to have “the luxury to give our guests room between their tables.” In this dining room, patrons don’t have to worry about their conversations being overheard by others, or about being bumped into or brushed against. “It’s a rare opportunity” to be able to offer this kind of stretching room and privacy in restaurant seating.

To have all this room, and then to have a third, separate space for catering and special events is, Santillo says, “another luxury.”

Santillo offers some insights as to how the three-man group came to invest in a third space in the 600 block — that is, the space that will become the special events room. The three partners started negotiations on the main space a year previously. As they were just days away from signing a lease, the tenant in the third space gave her notice. Someone in the group envisioned a special events space, and the deal was engineered.

A Long List Of Signature Dishes

Santillo says the Blue Dog Cafe has a long list of signature dishes. For this reason, there’s no reason for chefs to reinvent the wheel. Indeed, some patrons get miffed if the house specialties are altered or don’t get served for a time.

“That’s a beautiful thing,” says Santillo. “People like it just the way it is.”

What are the signature dishes repeat clients are looking for? One is the Crawfish Enchiladas, with their cumin mornay sauce and sides of dirty rice and corn maque choux.

Then there are the Seafood Wontons served with plum ginger sauce, the Smoked Duck Quesadilla and the Louisiana Purchase — a marinated chicken breast with artichokes in an herbed wine and cream sauce, served on penne pasta and topped with roasted pecans.

Chef’s Specialties that will hold a particular appeal for Lake Charles tastes will include the Catfish Blue Dog (topped with crawfish etouffee), the Honey-Glazed Duck and the impressive Crab Dinner, which offers crab cooked six different ways.

Blue Dog has menus for steaks, gumbo and bisque, grilled seafood and “Southern Deep-fried Favorites,” including fried stuffed shrimp. Many of the Chef’s Specialties are included on the lunch menu.

In addition to the large paintings that decorate the walls, you can find Blue Dog products at a station near the restaurant’s entrance. Blue Dog t-shirts, books, caps and a variety of small prints are offered for sale to the public.

If you’d like more information on what’s awaiting you at the Blue Dog Cafe in Lake Charles, visit bluedogcafe.com. If the Lake Charles side of the home page still says “Coming Soon,” just click the Lafayette side. What applies to one restaurant applies to the other. For example, the Lake Charles hours are the same as those of the Lafayette location. Those hours: Monday-Friday 11 am-2 pm; Monday-Thursday 5 pm-9 pm; and Friday-Saturday 5-10 pm. The Sunday brunch hours are 10:30 am-2 pm.