With the sun setting, the early evening buzz swiftly grows at Feliciana, first around the graceful bend of the boomerang-shaped bar and then out along the twin dining rooms branching from it.
Tall taper candles are lit. Dangling globe lanterns glow. Broad windows frame small-town street scenes as people approach in anticipation. The restaurant is a new hot spot for downtown Covington, and it’s buzzing.
The bar is a busy centerpiece of Feliciana, a French restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Feliciana is in the building that rose on the site of the former Star Theater, and presents scenes of cinematic beauty at every turn.
The menu is a back-to-the-roots exaltation of French cuisine, often stunning in its depth of flavor, with a chef’s personal odes running alongside textbook classics.
Feliciana is a French restaurant, with Paradise lounge above at left, in downtown Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
It’s the latest from BRG Hospitality, the New Orleans restaurant group led by chef John Besh and Octavio Mantilla.
BRG has been growing and going big with its new additions. Last summer, it debuted Delacroix, a destination-worthy restaurant full of Louisiana heritage cooking on the New Orleans riverfront.
Paradise, the lounge above Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. has an open-air patio with treetop view. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Now, it’s brought first-class French bistro Feliciana and its gorgeous related lounge, called Paradise, that together raise the level of style and sophistication for northshore dining.
Literary inspiration
The Moviegoer martini is one of many references to the work of novelist Walker Percy at Paradise, the cocktail lounge above Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Both the names Feliciana and Paradise are drawn from settings in the work of novelist Walker Percy, who long made Covington his home. Literary references and vignettes crop up in the decor and on the cocktail lists. At Paradise, I especially like the Moviegoer’s martini, made with a dash of yellow apricot liqueur.
Running Feliciana’s kitchen is chef de cuisine Patrick Teagle, a product of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (in the COVID-year class) who came up through the BRG restaurants August and Domenica.
Chef de Cuisine Patrick Teagle holds open the door at the new Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
He’s working here with veteran pros and familiar faces from New Orleans dining circles.
The cuisine is classically French, unsullied by fusion or “Southern twists” or other all-too-common impulses to improvise. Even the burger gets Comté cheese and Dijonnaise, and mussels and steak frites are bound to be bestsellers on familiarity alone.
Candles on the tables and broad windows mark the dining room at Feliciana, a French restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
The panéed veal and the flounder with crabmeat are the most familiar from New Orleans Creole cooking, though these lean more toward their French source material.
The dinner menu is substantial, and there’s also a brunch menu with croque madame, pancakes and a French omelette among its options. The wine list goes heavy on French labels, with a sideline in good value wines from Portugal and Spain. The Petit Chablis is a natural for chilled seafood.
Pâté and superlative soup
Preparing the dining room for service at Feliciana, a French restaurant in downtown Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
It could be easy to skim past the pâté, which is listed as an optional add-on for the bread service.
But take note that this is specifically “Chef Chris’ pâté” — from Chris Kerageorgiou, the late French master chef from the lost legend northshore restaurant La Provence, where Besh got his start (and later operated for about a decade).
Chicken liver pate, inspired by the former restaurant La Provence, is on the menu at Feliciana, a French restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Chicken liver pâté has long been a Besh restaurant staple, served now at Luke and Domenica in different versions. The one at Feliciana is a direct tribute to La Provence, and it brings time-warp satisfaction.
It gradually softens to the texture of whipped butter, and is irresistible on crisp toasts or the crusty sourdough Feliciana gets from nearby Tournesol Café and Bakery. Great joy could be had with simply a pot of this pâté and a glass of sparkling rosé at the bar.
Deeper into the menu, other dishes named for chefs stand out.
Alain’s soupe de crabe is a richly flavorful soup inspired by French chef Alain Assaud, served at Feliciana in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
“Alain’s soupe de crabe” alludes to Alain Assaud, a French chef in Provence, France, with whom Besh cooked in the 1990s.
Deceptively serene when poured at the table, this crab soup is a cascade of flavor, intense, aromatic, complex. I found myself sipping it more slowly to extend the experience. It is electrifyingly good.
Daily deep dives
Daily specials go deeper into French regional tradition.
Short rib bourguignon is the Thursday special, part of a deep roster of French dishes at Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
I can already recommend Wednesday’s duck cassoulet. The beans are cut with a whiff of smoke from sausage generously strewn under a toasty crust. The duck confit is served on the bone and ready to shred into the mix (the spoon will do for this tender bird).
Short rib Bourguignon, the Thursday special, is also impressive and hits every note — winey and bright, warming and succulent with savory depth.
Pommes aligot, a potato dish enriched with cheese and butter, is the base for the Thursday special, short rib bourguignon, at Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
This stew rides on a base of pommes aligot, potatoes whipped with so much mozzarella and butter that it pulls off the spoon with a pleasing elasticity, as if halfway to fondue. Whatever else might be on the table, make sure at least a side dish of pommes aligot is included.
Full flavor, half shell
From these rich, technique-driven dishes, Feliciana also knows when to leave perfect almost all on its own with a robust selection of chilled seafood. The two-story plateau de fruits de mer is a grand centerpiece, and a date-night couple could make this a meal all on its own.
Scallops on the half shell are finished with satsuma chile crisp at Feliciana, a French restaurant in downtown Covington. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Included with that platter, and also served on their own, are scallops on the half shell, a rare find locally. Take these off the ice for a bit to let them temper. That way, you’ll get the full gush of their juicy marine sweetness.
For dessert, tart tatin is layered, petal-like, with slices of apple that gleam as if candied but are still buttery and supple. It’s a race with the rapidly melting scoop of ice cream to build perfect bites.
Ice cream melts over the top of tart tartin, a French dessert at the very French Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Extra extravagances can be had with caviar service or truffles shared over the frites. But if the pâté is still on the table, the best indulgence is in your own hands. Take a few hot frites and swipe them through the pâté. This is heavenly.
The lounge upstairs
Paradise, the lounge above Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La. has an open-air patio with treetop view. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
It’s not quite right to call Paradise a rooftop bar. It’s a lounge on the second floor with an open-air patio that feels like sitting on a front porch, elevated to treetop level. Rather than the wrap-around view of a rooftop bar, Paradise feels like a close, private retreat, both inside and out.
It has its own menus, including snacks and sandwiches with some crossover from Feliciana for elegant bar bites or a casual meal.
Paradise, the lounge above Feliciana restaurant in Covington, La., has the feel of a stylish private retreat. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
The design is filled with character, and characters, and intricate, curious details between the gleaming bar and the cove-like booths.
An elevator lift makes it accessible, though it all feels like a private retreat, a club in the center of downtown Covington where the dining scene has a new hub.
Feliciana
405 E. Gibson St., (985) 863-4704
Wed., Thu. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Paradise
411 E. Gibson St., (985) 590-3745
Wed., Thu. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dining and Cooking