Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One of the most celebrated newcomers is Mondo, chef Susan Spicer's “fla-
vors of the world” eatery. In opening Mondo in 2010, Spicer, a Lakeview res-
ident, felt strongly about bringing a new dining concept to the neighborhood.
She succeeded, with crowds flocking to the eatery daily for dishes like Thai
shrimp-and-pork meatballs, Szechuan eggplant stir-fry, and wood-fired piz-
zas.
Walk one block. To the left is a strip of businesses that include The Steak
Knife, a neighborhood steakhouse; Reginelli's, part of a local pizza chain;
and Parlay's, a legendary corner bar that claims to have the longest bar in
New Orleans, at 60 feet.
Walk one block to Memphis Street. To the right is St. Dominic's Catholic
Church, one of the largest in New Orleans. St. Dominic's parish dates back
to 1924, though Lakeview's first formal place of Catholic worship—a small
wooden chapel on nearby Chapelle Street—opened in 1912. As Lakeview
grew, so did St. Dominic's need for a larger worship space, and in 1961 it
moved to its current location on Harrison. Behind it is St. Dominic's Catholic
School, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade 7. One of
the most memorable days in the church's history occurred on November 27,
2005, when St. Dominic's held its first Mass three months after Katrina. The
church had been gutted, and there was still no electricity or residents in
Lakeview. But that didn't matter to church parishioners who came from far
and wide to attend the service. “This is the nucleus that holds this commu-
nity together, and this is the nucleus that's going to bring the community
back,” a parishioner told USA Today.
Across Harrison from Smith Library is St. Paul's Episcopal Church and
School, which got its start in a small room at Lee Circle in downtown New
Orleans in the 1830s. Like St. Dominic's, St. Paul's moved several times be-
fore settling into its current digs on Canal Boulevard. It struggled to survive
after Katrina, as illustrated on its website: “For three weeks the church and
school sat under eight feet of polluted water and debris. The result was the
total destruction of the first-floor interiors as well as two single-story build-
ings that had to be demolished. With 80 percent of the city flooded and busi-
nesses ruined, the tragic scattering of our people ensued.” With the help of
volunteers from around the country, St. Paul's plunged into the rebuilding
process, transforming mountains of debris into a source of pride. But it
didn't just help itself—it helped all of Lakeview, opening a Homecoming
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