After a long week in Mississippi, my husband and I were thrilled to wind down at a cozy bed & breakfast on Louisiana’s Northshore, Annadele’s Plantation & Restaurant. Nestled among magnolia, cypress, pine and pear trees, Annadele’s is located just off the busy Highway 190 in Covington. Yet we were pleasantly surprised at the surreal quiet surrounding this elegant and historic bed and breakfast.
Annadele’s Plantation & Restaurant
Arrival
A canopy of trees hugs the small road that circles the plantation and to the right is a large gravel parking lot. Dating back nearly 200 hundred years, you literally do feel as if you’ve stepped back in time as you enter the landscaped grounds. Even in October, shrubs and colorful flora hug the sidewalk which leads to the restaurant where Innkeeper Gary awaited to check us in.
From second floor, overlooking the courtyard of Annadele’s Plantation
The long hallway extended from where we entered to the opposite end of the building. To our left was the dining room of the restaurant. The four bed and breakfast rooms were up the stairs, as well as additional rooms primarily used for weddings and private events. Halfway down the hallway to the right was a parlor-like room with an antique bar, where the bartender mixed some tasty martinis for us later.
Annadele’s historic bar
History
Annadele’s history began in 1819 when a group of seven men in the town of Claiborne acquired 1765.5 acres of land to build the St. Tammany Courthouse and jail. This land was known as Lobdell, adjacent to Annadele’s Plantation. Ultimately the town didn’t grow and the courthouse was abandoned, and the purchased land was divided into parcels and sold.
The new town of Covington (originally Wharton) became the parish seat. Colonel Thomas Sully of New Orleans purchased a 24-acre parcel and in 1834 built a West Indian plantation style estate with 15-foot ceilings to aid in cooling and heating. A wide 54-foot hall separated the rooms.
Annadele’s hosts many weddings.
In 1889, the property became the summer home to New Orleans Mayor Walter C. Flower, his wife Adele and their children, ultimately passing on to a New Orleans cotton broker, Leon Gibert, who elevated the home. In 1976 Florence and Joseph Pacaccios purchased the historical property, remodeling the home, refurbishing the downstairs for dining, and naming it Annadele’s. In 2003, a private investment group purchased the B&B, opening it for private dining, special events and creating the four unique bed and breakfast suites above the restaurant.
Accommodations
The furnishings were a mixture of English, French and Southern style antiques. The original solid cypress floor is still in the upstairs hallway.
Original cypress hardward floor upstairs off the rooms at Annadele’s.
We stayed in the Pear Blossom Suite 4, with a queen-sized bed, private bath and super-sized shower. Tall windows overlooked what was at one time the front of the house and one opened onto the southern-style sprawling porch.
Annadele’s Pear Blossom Suite 4
The three other rooms included the Enchanted Oak Suite 1, frequently used as a honeymoon suite, with its California king-sized bed (and mirror above the bed, sitting area and private bath with Jacuzzi tub and shower.
Annadele’s Room 1 Enchanted Oak Suite
WiFi is complimentary, although we didn’t have a moment to even log on!
Dining
Annadele’s Restaurant offers fine dining, and is open to the public for lunch Thursday and Friday and nightly Wednesday through Saturday. A traditional brunch is served on Sunday. We enjoyed dinner on Saturday evening before departing for an early flight the next morning. Executive Chef Ronald Bonnette brought the classic New Orleans dishes to the table, including Fried Green Tomatoes Tchefuncte, really yummy; Award-winning Seafood Gumbo & Turtle Soup; and in interesting Strawberry Salad Ponchatoula and Seafood Au Gratin.
We had an early morning departure for a fishing trip, and the Innkeeper put together a basket of muffins and fruit for us and it was waiting for us when we returned from dinner.
Summary
If you’re searching for a wind-down after a visit to New Orleans, or a romantic getaway, put Annadele’s Plantation & Restaurant, Louisiana’s Northshore, on your radar. The four bed and breakfast suites are affordable from $200 to $175 per night, and the staff will spoil you during your stay. When we returned from an all-day fishing expedition to Lake Pontchartrain, we called Annadele’s to arrange for our catch of the day to be dry iced and packed. The innkeeper accommodated us beyond our imagination, even sending a staff member to pick up dry ice for us. The chef packaged our fish for us, and the bartender had a Cosmopolitan martini and Old Fashioned drink waiting for us.
Accommodations courtesy of Annadele’s Plantation.
Photos courtesy of Diana Rowe & Annadele’s Plantation
