“Back in the day.” That’s the way most people begin stories about Dwight Stroud and his restaurant, Stroud’s Shady Oaks, in Abbeville. Opened in 1963, Stroud’s was the gathering place for the oil patch. The Abbeville restaurant was a study in contrasts. The walls of Stroud’s Shady Oaks held collections of fine European Boehm porcelain figurines and Lalique crystal, while ketchup and mustard bottles contained in aluminum pie tins topped the tables. Stroud’s wine collection was legendary. Featured in Wine Spectator, Dwight Stroud had connections to some of California’s finest vintners and imported Premier Cru wines from France. His steaks were hand chosen, seasoned with a secret concoction, then fried in rendered beef fat, intensely flavored old school cooking rarely tasted these days. The restaurant moved to Kaliste Saloom in Lafayette, before winding up on Industrial Parkway in 1988. Dwight’s son Marty Stroud took over in 1990. Stroud’s closed in 2004.
Dwight LaRue Stroud, 78, died suddenly of a heart attack on September 28, he was buried yesterday at Graceland Cemetery in Abbeville. He was preceded in death by his son, Marty Stroud just two weeks ago. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Margaret Bertrand Stroud.