Turk File

Turk File - October 2008

by Leslie Turk

Andoli's Sandwich Press opens downtown There’s no getting around it. We’re caffeine junkies. When Café Bonjour, the downtown coffee shop, closed in June, folks downtown started getting squirrely, needing a java fix. Well, jones no more. Andoli’s Sandwich Press has opened in the lobby of Chase Tower on Jefferson Street. Originally envisioned as a sandwich, soup and salad spot, owners Katherine McCormick and Gabe Soileau got an earful of suggestions, and they all converged on coffee. And not just your regular cup of Joe. Mornings, Andoli’s serves a full range of cappuccinos, lattés, café au lait, mochas, iced coffee and good old regular Community, along with toasted bagels. At noon its sandwich press is in action, heating up a range of deli sandwiches heavy on the meat side, that include roast beef, Cajun turkey, pastrami, salami, pepper jack cheese and homemade chicken and tuna salads. Salads, soup of the day and Zapp’s chips round out the menu.

McCormick and Soileau are in-laws. McCormick’s brothers Rick and Ben Moody and sister Caroline Moody Soileau are all partners in the business, which is named for a pair of 14-month-olds — Andrew Soileau and Olivia McCormick.

For now the business is strictly take out, but the Moody clan plans to expand floor space over an unused stairwell to accommodate seating for 30 or so. Downtown delivery will start in a few weeks. McCormick and Soileau are novices in the food business, but they are quickly catching on, and they are reassured that some big time restaurant folks have their back — as the Moodys have a long history in the restaurant business.

REILLY REPLACES STULLER AS BLUEPRINT CHAIR

Billboard exec Sean Reilly is the new chairman of Blueprint Louisiana, replacing founding chairman Matt Stuller. Assuming Reilly’s former position as secretary is businessman Bill Fenstermaker, president and CEO of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates.

Both Reilly and Fenstermaker will serve a one-year term; all three are founding members of the organization and continue to serve on its executive committee.

Blueprint is an ethics-minded advocacy group backed by business interests from around the state. Established in 2006, it has not only endorsed candidates based on their promises, but also holds them accountable by following up on legislation and keeping in touch with voters.

A former state representative, Reilly is president of the outdoor division of Lamar Advertising Company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s only NASDAQ 100 company. “[Stuller’s] vision helped pave the way for our success during the 2007 election season and this year’s three legislative sessions,” Reilly says.

Reilly’s rise to chairman is a sure sign that the group is proceeding with its long-term plans and an indication it will continue being a player on the statewide scene. More than 3,000 citizens and 40 organizations support Blueprint’s mission.

RENAISSANCE BECOMES SADIE’S DOWNTOWN

Judd Kennedy, owner of Renaissance Niteclub, has decided to switch gears at his 9-year-old downtown Lafayette nightclub. Citing a decrease in revenues on nights with both DJs and live local bands, Kennedy indicates that he’s changed not only the name of the club but also the crowd it targets. Sadie’s Downtown seeks to cater to the “working class woman,” aged 25 and older, and to focus less on its traditionally younger college crowd.