Manchac Chit Chat

If you've ever admired the wood adorning the dining rooms at Middendorf's Slidell... then this episode is for you!  Horst Pfeifer chit chats with Frank Vallot of Acadian Cypress in Ponchatoula, LA.  Learn all about the history of the different kinds of wood used... plus the techniques and hard work employed to ultimately give the restaurant a beautiful interior and lots of character.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with fellow European Chefs Jean-Luc Albin and Willy Coln.  Learn about their journeys in the culinary industry that took them to some interesting places, and find out how they ultimately ended-up making their mark in New Orleans. 

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Cultural Ambassador Poppy Tooker.  Poppy does it all.  She's a Television Host, Radio Host, Author, Speaker, Culinary Activist, Spokesperson and Cooking Instructor (whew!).  Learn about her love of food, New Orleans and her brand new book "Drag Queen Brunch."   Questions/Comments: Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Hayden Reno... our Manchac neighbor, friend and true "Man of the Land."   Learn all about hunting, fishing and trapping in the Manchac Swamp and discover what kinds of critters you can find out here.  Plus,  get the scoop on the biggest gator that Hayden ever caught and what animal his friend thought was a small boat.  Oh yeah, there's a lot in this episode... two buddies just sitting down and chatting about swamp living.  Good times. Questions/Comments: Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Mike Haro, a Location Manager for the television and movie industry. Go behind-the-scenes of this fascinating world.  Find out how Mike got started in the biz... what productions he’s worked on... which stars he’s worked with... and some of the production challenges he's faced. Questions/Comments: Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with three young experts -- Harley, Amelya and McKenna -- about Middendorf's new "Let's Chill" Ice Cream menu which will be available in February 2019.  Learn what's on the menu.  Hear the girls' fun taste test reactions.  And, join in on the laughs! Questions/Comments: Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Dr. Robert Moreau, Manager of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station. Learn about the history of the Manchac Swamp and Wetlands. Get the scoop on the Cypress Tree Planting and Christmas Tree Recycling programs. Plus, find out how Nutria got here and why there was an effort to rename them. Questions/Comments: Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Cari Caramonta, Co-Founder and Vice President of Gnarly Barley Brewing Company based in Hammond, LA. Learn about the history of one of America's 50 fastest growing breweries. Find out what it takes to run a craft brewery plus how they came up with their fun beer names. Questions/Comments: Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Race Director Chuck George, the organizer of many races including Middendorf's Manchac Run. Go behind-the-scenes to learn the history of the Manchac Run and what to expect at the 10th annual race set for November 10, 2018. Plus, with over 1,000 races to his name, find out some of the craziest things that Chuck has seen. *Register for Middendorf's Manchac Run at www.NOLArunning.com. *Questions or Comments about this episode of Manchac Chit Chat? Contact us at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer chit chats about Oktoberfest at Middendorfs. German food, music & fun every Wednesday and Thursday for six weeks, October 3, 2018 through November 8, 2018. Learn what's on the menu... Get the inside scoop on Munich's Oktoberfest.... and Find out if Horst really wore lederhosen growing up in Germany. *Comments or Questions? Email Christie at chitchat@middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Horst Pfeifer Chit Chats with Fred Holley of Republic National Distributing Company. Fred shares his expertise of wine and spirits, his interesting family history in New Orleans and his love of Italian Food. And, of course, he's a fan of our "Fettuccine Frenzy."

Horst Pfeifer chit chats with Carla Tate, Executive Director of the Tangipahoa Parish Convention & Visitor Bureau. Carla has the scoop on all the fun happenings and great attractions in Tangipahoa Parish. Middendorf's is proud to be the gateway to Tangi Parish from the South via I-55. Come on over to Tangi -- it's a great place to visit!

Horst Pfeifer chit chats with Pat Dufresne, Executive Director/CEO of Port Manchac. The Port is less than 2 miles from Middendorf's, and we were really surprised to discover just how little we knew about the Port -- how it came to be, what goes on at the facility and its importance to the shipping industry.

Horst Pfeifer chit chats with Bruce Mitchell, aka "The Alligator Man" -- a Ponchatoula, LA native and star of the History Channel's "Swamp People." Bruce shares great stories of growing up around these parts, working on his hit show and visiting Middendorf's for over 50 years. This is a really fun episode. Bruce and Horst really bring the laughs!

Middendorf's Owner and European Master Chef Horst Pfeifer takes over the entire first episode of "Manchac Chit Chat" to share his story. Learn what it was like growing up in Germany, how he got into cooking and how he ended-up at Middendorf's.